Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has used artificial intelligence to assist with drafting (a) legislation and (b) policy in the last 12 months.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Officials within the Department for Work and Pensions have access to artificial intelligence tools that may be used to support efficiency in their day‑to‑day work. However, responsibility for developing policy and legislative proposals remains with officials and all final decisions on substantive policy or legal issues continue to be taken by Ministers.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help tackle food poverty.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are committed to tackling poverty and ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels.

In the Good Food Cycle, published last July, we made improving access to healthy and affordable food, targeting costs that lead to food price inflation, and supporting those who most need access to healthy affordable nutrition, key priorities for Government.

The Crisis and Resilience Fund will also support people on low incomes and in need of immediate financial support.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve his Department's response times to correspondence.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department is clear that timely responses to correspondence are important. Recent delays have arisen from increased volumes and complexity of cases, including as customers move onto Universal Credit as part of our planned migration from legacy benefits.

We are taking active steps to improve performance, including recruiting and training additional staff to handle correspondence and complaints. These measures are already helping to reduce backlogs and will continue to improve response times as capacity builds.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support young people into employment, education or training.

Answered by Pat McFadden - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Too many young people are not in employment, education or training, something we are addressing and which the previous Government did nothing about.

We are investing £2.5 billion into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy to support nearly one million 16–24-year-olds into work, education or training.

Over the next three years, this investment will unlock up to 300,000 opportunities for workplace experience and training, along with 200,000 jobs through the £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant, the £2,000 apprenticeship incentive, and guaranteeing jobs for long-term unemployed young people on Universal Credit.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

What steps he is taking to support young people into employment, education or training.

Answered by Pat McFadden - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Too many young people are not in employment, education or training, something we are addressing and which the previous Government did nothing about.

We are investing £2.5 billion into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy to support nearly one million 16–24-year-olds into work, education or training.

Over the next three years, this investment will unlock up to 300,000 opportunities for workplace experience and training, along with 200,000 jobs through the £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant, the £2,000 apprenticeship incentive, and guaranteeing jobs for long-term unemployed young people on Universal Credit.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a statutory right to food for people in poverty.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

While the right to food is not codified in UK domestic law, the Government is taking action to improve access to good, nutritious food.

We have announced action to expand free school meals, support parents with the cost of healthy food in the school holidays with the Holidays and Activities and Food Programme and launched the Crisis and Resilience Fund, which enables local authorities to design schemes that address food poverty.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support young people with special educational needs and disabilities into employment.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Our Pathways to Work guarantee will ensure an offer of personalised work, health and skills support to disabled people and people with health conditions. Access to Work can support workplace adjustments that go beyond what would normally be expected from an employer to enable work. Young people will also be eligible for additional support through the Youth Guarantee.

Through Pathways to Work, young people with special educational needs have access to tailored support, including help into supported employment through Connect to Work. Our local economic inactivity and youth guarantee trailblazers include testing approaches to targeted support for young people with SEND.

We've also launched a review into Young People Work and Health led by Alan Milburn to understand the reasons behind young people becoming NEET, with a particular focus on mental health and disability.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing the Child Maintenance Service to issue a deduction from earnings order rather than a deduction of earnings request to HM Paymaster General when the paying parent is a member of the armed forces.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Deduction from Earnings Orders (DEO) are applied as a method of payment where the Child Maintenance Service deducts maintenance directly from the Paying Parent’s wages. The DEO is primarily used to enforce payments but can be set up voluntarily. Deduction from Earnings Requests are similar to a Deduction from Earnings Order but used for Paying Parents who are serving members of the Armed Forces. The Child Maintenance Service can only request a deduction to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and, unlike with civilian employers, they cannot order or enforce payments. MOD policy aims to comply with requests; however, if the Paying Parent is committed to operational duties MOD may suspend the collection of debt.

The Child Maintenance Service takes action to ensure the correct method of payment is applied by identifying whether a Paying Parent is in the Armed Forces through its use of Real Team Information (RTI) Data taken from HMRC. This provides up to date information about Pay As You Earn income as the information submitted by employers online is displayed in RTI immediately. To ensure that the correct method of payment is used for a Paying Parent who is serving in the Armed Forces, caseworkers are provided with step-by-step procedural instructions and training.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent progress the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment has made on its programme of work.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Review has established its themes and launched a Call for Evidence, the first step in a wider programme of engagement. Recognising no single method will capture every perspective, the Review’s steering group has agreed a mix of approaches to engage with and gather evidence from individuals and organisations. A varied approach will ensure the Review is informed by lived experience. An update will be shared later this week.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken to process Access to Work claims.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We have increased the number of staff by 29% from 500 in March 2024 to 648 in March 2026 and streamlined processes to improve the service.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the scheme and how to improve it, so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are considering all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of publishing levels of welfare spending on foreign nationals by benefit type.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

My Department remains focussed on ensuring we provide robust, transparent data where this is available.

That is why we regularly publish quarterly official statistics on the number of Universal Credit claimants broken down by immigration status type and nationality group, as well as whether claimants are in work. We have no plans to change this approach.

In benefits other than Universal Credit, nationality and immigration status is not held or collected on digital systems in a way that allows it to be extracted for the publication as official statistics.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the Minister for Child Maintenance has declined requests to meet with STOPSuicides UK.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The minister regularly meets with key stakeholders and undertakes extensive engagement via correspondence with organisations who have an interest in the Child Maintenance Service, including with STOPSuicide UK and will continue to do so.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken to process Access to Work claims.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We have increased the number of staff by 29% from 500 in March 2024 to 648 in March 2026 and streamlined processes to improve the service.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the scheme and how to improve it, so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are considering all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to Answer of 2 June 2025 on Question 56485 on the limited capability for work and work-related activity element of Universal Credit, what progress has been made in reviewing the Child Maintenance calculation.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government is conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose. This includes updating the underlying research and ensuring it is fair for both parents and encourages willing and able compliance.

The outcome of the review and next steps will be announced in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Disability Confident Scheme.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

In 2022, the department commissioned a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the scheme has had on their recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people. The survey can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK

The department also published the Disability Confident Employer Renewal Research that summarises the reasons why employers did not renew membership of the Disability Confident scheme in 2022, including some qualitative evidence on the scheme’s impact on attracting and recruiting staff with disabilities and/or organisational culture (but not retention) for some employers. This small scale qualitative research with employers can be accessed at Disability Confident Employer Renewal Research - GOV.UK

The Disability Confident scheme is well-established and has huge potential, but it needs reform to deliver meaningful change. My officials and I have been working with a wide range of stakeholders, including disabled people and employers, to explore potential reforms. On 15 January 2026 I announced more details about our plans to reform the scheme Disability Confident scheme overhauled to boost workplace standards for disabled people - GOV.UK.

We are planning a proportionate assessment of the different strands of the upcoming reforms: this is likely to include qualitative interviews to get insights from employers, conducting short surveys, and gathering feedback on specific processes and products to iteratively improve and adapt.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people aged 16-24 are claiming the Universal Credit health element while in full-time non-advanced education.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 20 April 2026 to Question 125932.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of introducing training programmes to improve awareness and understanding of neurodiversity in the workplace.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 April to PQ 127771.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Health and Safety Executive has made of the impact on septic tank and small sewage treatment systems of biocidal products containing Bronopol when used in motorhome or caravan toilet fluids.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Toilet fluid biocidal products containing Bronopol fall within Product Types 2 (disinfectants) and/or 6 (preservatives for products during storage) of the Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR). These uses are covered by the GB BPR active substance review programme, where they are both awaiting review. Products containing Bronopol are currently controlled under existing consumer protection legislation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Department's Research and analysis paper entitled Removing the two-child limit on Universal Credit, whether the calculation that the removal of the two-child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty has taken in to account how many of those households will now be impacted by the benefit cap.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department for Work and Pensions’ Policy Simulation Model (PSM) was used to model the impact of the removal of the two-child limit on Universal Credit. The PSM uses household characteristics, caseload forecasts and benefit rules to estimate policy impacts for each year, currently up to and including FYE 2031.

It is estimated that there will be 450,000 fewer children in relative poverty after housing costs in the final year of parliament (FYE 2030) as a result of the removal of the two-child limit within Universal Credit, compared to baseline projections. This estimate takes full account of the benefit cap, which is modelled in both the baseline and policy projections.

Removing the two-child limit on Universal Credit: Impact on low income poverty levels in the United Kingdom - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department (a) collects and (b) holds data on foodbank usage; and if he will publish all such data for each of the last five years.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Statistics on the level of food bank use in the UK are published annually in the Households Below Average Income statistics report. The most recent publication is available here: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2025 - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of foodbank usage since July 2024.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Statistics on the level of food bank use in the UK are published annually in the Households Below Average Income statistics report. The most recent publication is available here: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2025 - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what impact assessment has been made of the proposed removal of the health element of Universal Credit for under 22s.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We have launched The Young People and Work Report to investigate the persistently high numbers of young people out of work, education and training, with a holistic view of the welfare, health, skills and employment system. Led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, it will also identify areas for reform. The report will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have begun - with a particular focus on the impact of mental health conditions and disability.  The Author will produce an interim Report this May, with a full and final report in September.

To ensure we can take a decision in the round we are awaiting the Young People and Work Reports conclusions before making any decisions on access to Universal Credit Health Element for those under the age of 22.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delays in the Access to Work scheme on disabled people’s ability to start or remain in employment.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

To protect employment opportunities, case managers prioritise Access to Work applications where the customer is due to start a job within four weeks. In 2025, we allocated c. 96% of applications starting work within 4 weeks in 28 days. We have increased the number of staff working in this area by 29% from 500 in March 2024 to 648 in March 2026.

We know from employee and employer feedback that we inherited issues in the scheme, which is why we’re working with disabled people and their representative organisations to improve it. Reforms are essential to ensure a better service for customers, to help disabled people start and stay in work, to provide clarity in what support should be provided and to ensure we are providing value for money for the taxpayer.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of restricting young people’s eligibility for the Universal Credit health element on a) poverty and b) employment.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We have launched The Young People and Work Report to investigate the persistently high numbers of young people out of work, education and training, with a holistic view of the welfare, health, skills and employment system. Led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, it will also identify areas for reform. The report will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have begun. The Author will produce an interim Report this May, with a full and final report in September

To ensure we can take a decision in the round we are awaiting the Young People and Work Reports conclusions before making any decisions on whether to delay access to Universal Credit Health Element to 22.

The Universal Credit Act 2025, which came into force on 6 April 2026, delivered the first sustained, above inflation rise in the basic rate of UC since it was introduced. This means a little under four million households will benefit overall from government’s decision to increase the UC standard allowance, estimated to be worth around £760 annually in cash terms for a single parent aged 25 (£250 above inflation) or over £1195 (£400 above inflation) for a couple where one is aged 25 or over with children by 2029/30.

A little under 4 million households will benefit from the sustained, above-inflation increase to the UC standard allowance - worth around £295 in 2026/27, in cash terms around £110 above inflation, for a single person aged 25 or over and around £760, around £250 above inflation, by the end of the decade. For couples, where one member is aged 25 or over, it will increase by around an additional £465 this year, around £180 more than if up-rated by inflation alone.

Claimants who declared a health condition or disability before 6 April 2026 and are subsequently found to have Limited Capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), receive the higher rate - £429.80 per month. This applies even if the decision on their LCWRA entitlement was made on or after 6 April 2026.

In our Pathways to Work Green Paper we set out our Pathways to Work offer, backed by £1 billion a year of new funding by the end of the decade. Our Pathways to Work support offer will ensure a coherent and navigable offer of support, building on and bringing together initiatives such as Connect to Work, WorkWell and local Trailblazers.

Since July 2025, there have been around 1000 (full-time equivalent) Pathways to Work Advisors in place in Jobcentres across England, Scotland and Wales helping disabled people and people with health conditions towards and into work. This increased deployment will help ensure that everyone impacted by the recent changes to the Universal Credit Health Element is offered support. People affected by the changes, including young people, will be able to access a conversation about their needs, goals and aspirations; offered one-to-one follow-on support, and given voluntary help to access additional work, health and skills support that can meet their needs.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Great Yarmouth constituency receive Universal Credit with a health‑related requirement or award.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Monthly Universal Credit statistics showing the number of people on Universal Credit with a health condition or disability restricting their ability to work, by Westminster Parliamentary Constituency are published in the UC Health Caseload dataset on Stat-Xplore, and are currently available to December 2025.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Access to Work applications have been waiting longer than (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) twelve months for a decision.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Access to Work does not record the information in a way that allows data to be extracted by three, six or twelve month waiting periods. Providing the information requested would require manual examination of individual case records and would therefore incur disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the impact of reforms to Personal Independence Payments on levels of homelessness will be included as part of the Timms Review.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The steering group has established its ways of working, themes for the Review and has launched a Call for Evidence. It will continue to meet regularly over the course of this year to determine the Review's strategic direction, priorities and its recommendations. The Terms of Reference give the group a broad remit to set out its strategic direction, priorities and workplan.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure access to services for disabled people with assistance dogs.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Equality Act 2010 places a general duty on businesses and service providers to make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled people, including people with assistance dogs, access to goods and services so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act. It has published guidance - ‘Assistance Dogs: a guide for businesses and service providers’ - to help businesses and service providers understand what they can do to meet their legal duties to assistance dog owners.

Duties and protections under the Equality Act are ultimately enforceable through the courts, and anybody who thinks that they have been discriminated against - including where access to an assistance dog has been refused - can take legal action to seek to resolve the issue. The EHRC will support people who have experienced discrimination through that process.

This Government supports Guide Dogs UK’s ‘Open Doors’ campaign which aims to achieve the fullest possible access for owners of guide dogs and assistance dogs and has met Guide Dogs UK several times over the last 18 months. I have also met with other MPs and continued discussions with stakeholders on how to improve access to public spaces for disabled people with assistance dogs. This Government will continue to reinforce the message that assistance dogs should be allowed access to businesses and services, except in the most exceptional circumstances.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with a Personal Independence Payment Special Rules award reached the end of their three-year award period and had their benefits award reviewed in each of the last 12 months for which data is available.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Over the past 12 months, 30 individuals with a Personal Independence Payment Special Rules award reached the end of their three-year award period and had benefits reassessed.

Monthly breakdowns cannot be provided due to disclosure control. In the majority of months over the last 12-month period, there were fewer than 5 Special Rules for End of Life claims which reached their award period’s end and were reassessed.

Notes:

- The figure provided is rounded to the nearest 10.

- The figure is for claimants under DWP policy ownership (England, Wales and abroad) and exclude claimants where PIP has been devolved to the Scottish Government in Scotland or the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department plans to issue to employers on obligations under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 following the High Court judgment in Good Law Project v EHRC [2026] EWHC 279 (Admin).

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 cover a wide range of basic health, safety and welfare issues and apply to most workplaces. Employers and building owners have to provide suitable welfare facilities for all workers.

The Regulations and guidance provide minimum requirements in relation to those facilities. I understand that The High Court judgment is being appealed against, and it would not be appropriate to comment while legal proceedings are continuing. In general terms, employers and building owners do need to consider other requirements such as those in Building Regulations and associated Approved Documents for new buildings, as well as their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many starts there have been on each foundation apprenticeship standard since their launch in August 2025; and what assessment he made of the adequacy of that performance before announcing the expansion of foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

In August 2025 we introduced foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, such as construction and health and social care, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills.

Foundation apprenticeships are designed to support those young people who want to gain a broad grounding in a sector before they commit to progress into a more specific or more advanced occupation.

As foundation apprenticeships are a new offer we understand providers and employers will need time to incorporate them into their businesses.

In addition, other apprenticeships continue to support young people to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for a specific occupation.

Apprenticeship and foundation apprenticeship starts are published here: Apprenticeships, Academic year 2025/26 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK. The latest published data shows that there have been 110 foundation apprenticeship starts so far this academic year (Aug 2025 - Jan 2026).

To create more opportunities for young people at the start of their careers, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail from April 2026. These sectors traditionally employ large numbers of young people and offer strong entry points into sustained employment with clear progression routes across England.

They will have employer payments of up to £2,000 employer payment to support with the additional costs of taking on and supporting a young person at the start of their career.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which company has been awarded the Provision of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advice and Support to the Office for Nuclear Regulation contract; and at what cost.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) are an independent Public Corporation. It has agreed a contract with Lisa Ellis Bespoke Business Solutions. The contract is £12,000 per year for 3 years (no VAT charged). There are no other contracts in place for the provision of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion support to ONR staff.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will consult with industry leaders in the safety-tech sector to develop a unified data standard for the reporting of safety near-misses captured by Human Form Recognition AI-enabled systems on industrial sites.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) provides the established statutory framework for reporting work-related fatalities, injuries, occupational diseases, and certain dangerous occurrences, including near misses. RIDDOR ensures that significant work-related incidents are reported to the relevant enforcing authority so risks can be identified, trends monitored and appropriate regulatory action taken where necessary to improve health and safety standards in Great Britain.

RIDDOR applies regardless of how an incident is identified or recorded by duty-holders. Employers and others with duties under RIDDOR are responsible for reporting incidents that meet the legal criteria, and there is already a standardised national reporting process in place.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched a public consultation on 7 April 2026 seeking views on possible amendments to RIDDOR. This consultation includes proposals based on recommendations from its second postimplementation review, such as updates to occupational disease definitions and potential opportunities to streamline aspects of the reporting process. Stakeholders are invited to provide views on additional areas they believe should be considered, and we would encourage anyone interested in work-place incident reporting to engage with the consultation over the next 12 weeks.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints the Department has received in the last 12 months regarding the Access to Work scheme.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

From April 2025 to March 2026, a total of 1,769 complaints has been received.

April 2025 - 155 received

May 2025 - 154 received

June 2025 - 149 received

July 2025 - 166 received

August 2025 - 98 received

September 2025 - 125 received

October 2025 - 149 received

November 2025 - 142 received

December 2025 - 119 received

January 2026 - 171 received

February 2026 - 154 received

March 2026 - 187 received

Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Health and Safety Executive has been consulted by Peak Cluster Limited on the proximity of the proposed CO2 pipeline route and above-ground installation to Gawsworth Church of England Primary School.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As a statutory consultee to the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) process for the Peak Cluster pipeline, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responded to the Planning Inspectorate at the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Stage confirming whether the proposed pipeline passes through the Consultation Distances of other major accident hazard pipelines, major hazard sites, or licensed explosives sites.

Under the Pipeline Safety Regulations 1996, as amended, the operator of a major hazard pipeline is required to produce a major accident prevention document prior to the design of the pipeline being completed, demonstrating that major accident hazard potential arising from the pipeline has been identified; evaluation of those risks has been carried out; and that an adequate safety management system for those risks is in place.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Personal Independence Payment claims were made by residents of Great Yarmouth constituency in each of the last three years; and how many of those claims were successful.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The requested information on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) registrations and clearances by constituency can be found on Stat Xplore.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff have (a) had their employment contract terminated and (b) resigned in (i) Jobcentre Plus, (ii) the Pension Service, and (iii) the Child Maintenance Service since January 2025.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The data relates to DWP leavers within Child Maintenance Service, Retirement Services, and Universal Credit Operations. It includes both paid and unpaid leavers and covers the period from 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2026.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing mandatory training programmes for employers and staff to improve awareness and understanding of neurodiversity in the workplace.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

In 2025 DWP launched an Expert Academic Panel on Neurodiversity. Bringing together multidisciplinary experts, the Panel examined why neurodivergent people often experience poor outcomes at work and lower employment rates. We have received the Panel’s report and are carefully considering its recommendations, including those around what further actions employers can take.

Research by the Arbitration, Conciliation and Advisory Service (ACAS) highlights that managers are key to supporting neurodivergent employees but often lack the necessary training and confidence to do so effectively. Consequently, earlier this year DWP funded ACAS to deliver free of charge masterclasses to small and medium size employers on recruiting and supporting neurodivergent talent in the workplace. Over 1800 representatives of small and medium sized employers attended these masterclasses.

DWP's offer to employers also includes a digital information service, www.support-with-employee-health-and-disability.dwp.gov.uk/ which provides tailored guidance to employers to support employees to remain in work. This includes guidance on disclosures and having conversations about health and disability, plus guidance on legal obligations, including making reasonable adjustments.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average response time is for the a) Child Support Agency and b) Child Maintenance Service.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Child Support Agency (CSA) does not publish a standalone Annual Report and Accounts. Information regarding the performance of the Child Maintenance Service can be found in the Annual Reports and Accounts 2024-25 linked here - DWP Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 25

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2026 to Question 125067 on Motability, in what circumstances the reduction in mileage allowance from 20,000 miles to 10,000 miles a year can be mitigated.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors. This includes how they will determine what circumstances the reduction in mileage allowance can be mitigated.

Motability have indicated that they will be introducing an exceptions process for very limited situations and will share an update before 1 July.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many clearances for Carer's Allowance claims have been made involving carers' earnings being averaged since 3 September 2025.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Obtaining this information would require a manual review of individual claims and could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with the Health and Safety Executive on the effectiveness of artificial intelligence-led safety systems in reducing workplace fatalities in the (a) construction and (b) logistics sectors; and if he will make a statement on the development of industry protocols for these systems.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has undertaken research into how businesses are adopting AI and its implications for workplace health and safety. This research has examined the use of AI in developing health and safety provisions across a wide range of sectors, including construction and logistics.

HSE is working with industry partners to develop benchmarks that enable best use of AI in workplaces. It is also contributing toward the development of international standards for AI interaction with machinery and functional safety.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Unpaid carers impacted by unclear guidance to have debts cancelled, published on 13 April 2026, how many unpaid carers in (a) Basildon, (b) Thurrock and (c) Essex are expected to have their Carer’s Allowance debts (i) reduced, (ii) cancelled or (iii) refunded.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost to the department.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Unpaid carers impacted by unclear guidance to have debts cancelled, published on 13 April 2026, how many Carer’s Allowance overpayment cases in (a) Basildon, (b) Thurrock and (c) Essex are under review.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost to the department.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2025, what his planned timetable is for the implementation of the earned income disregards; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of these changes.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As announced at Autumn Budget, the Department will be introducing new earned income disregards for those in receipt of Housing Benefit and live in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation. These disregards will help smooth the transition between the Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for individuals in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation as they move into work or increase their earnings, ensuring work always pays.

The new disregards will be in place from Autumn 2026. This will require legislative changes and be accompanied by IT changes made to local authority IT systems. In preparation for this, we have already begun engagement with stakeholders to ensure that the implementation meets the needs of those affected. This is accompanied by clear communications to support local authorities, housing providers and third sector organisations to ensure that eligible customers are aware of and able to utilise this change.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if the Health and Safety Executive will publish a regularly updated list of GB exports of highly hazardous substances listed in Annex II and III of GB PIC that are permitted using the waiver for explicit consent, including (a) the importing country, (b) the UK company, (c) the substance exported and tonnage band and (d) the reasons for which the export met the waiver conditions.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

There is no statutory requirement to publish information on waivers used under the Great Britain (GB) Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulations. However, each year, companies have to report the name of the chemical in the GB PIC list that they have exported or imported during the previous calendar year, the quantity of the chemical, and the name of the importing or exporting country. The Health and Safety Executive, as the Designated National Authority, publishes that information on its website: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pic/annual-reporting.htm.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether trade unions will be formal stakeholders in the Disability Confident Reform Delivery Plan.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Disability Confident Reform Delivery Plan (Disability Confident Reform Delivery Plan for December 2025 to December 2026 - GOV.UK) sets out a clear commitment to meaningful stakeholder engagement throughout the reform period, recognising that the scheme’s credibility and impact depend on being shaped with those it affects.

Trade unions are an important part of this engagement landscape. The Reform Delivery Plan makes it clear that reform will be developed collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders, including employee representative organisations, to ensure the scheme is robust, credible and focused on real‑world outcomes for disabled people.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the level of misuse of Motability Scheme vehicles in the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme, including identifying and tackling misuse of the Scheme, sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors.

Any misuse of scheme vehicles is taken seriously and Motability Operations has a dedicated unit that works to prevent, detect and handle such cases, and take action where appropriate. Motability investigates the information it receives about misuse of scheme vehicles and works with a range of partners.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of Mobility Scheme users who exceeded 10,000 miles per year in the most recent year for which data is available.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors.

The changes to the leasing package were announced on 26 March and include reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 10,000 per year. Changes only apply to new leases and there are no changes to the mileage allowance of existing leases. Motability Foundation have advised that approximately 75% of customers on the Scheme already use less miles than the proposed new mileage allowance. They have acknowledged that there will be an impact on some customers and are considering if the impact can be mitigated in some limited circumstances.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that vehicles provided under the Motability Scheme are used in accordance with scheme rules.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme, including ensuring vehicle use is in accordance with Scheme rules, sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors.

The Department for Work and Pensions meets regularly with Motability Foundation, the independent charity with responsibility for overseeing the Scheme, to discuss the Scheme’s operation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Access to Work staff receive specialist advice on visual impairment when assessing applications and renewals for blind and partially sighted customers.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Access to Work staff are trained to assess applications from all disability groups and individual impairments, taking account of each customer’s needs and circumstances. Staff are able to access specific support relating to individual impairments where necessary.

Where specialist advice is required to inform the outcome, Access to Work staff may arrange a workplace assessment through one of its contracted providers to help identify appropriate adjustments and support to address workplace barriers.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what is the (a) total cost and (b) profile of the Capita Synergy contract over its lifetime, including optional services and contingencies.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Synergy Business Process Services (BPS) has now been awarded, and this information has therefore been published and can be accessed via the GOV.UK “Contract Finder” – Procurement reference: CF-0020000DQH00000FUqLV2A1

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to encourage small and medium sized businesses to retain apprentices once they complete their apprenticeship.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Apprenticeships help give small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) the skills they need to grow, enabling them to fill vacancies, train their workforces and fill skills gaps. Retaining apprentices after completion enables smaller employers to maximise the return on their investment in training which includes the need to release their apprentices for off-the-job training.

The Government encourages small and medium-sized businesses to retain apprentices through targeted financial incentives and employer support. Employers of all sizes can receive up to £2,000 for taking on foundation apprentices, with the final payment made only if the apprentice progresses to a further apprenticeship with the same employer within 6 months. For non-levy paying employers (who are predominantly SMEs), we are introducing a new hiring grant, worth £2,000, to take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. Payments are made in instalments to support retention and/or progression of apprentices.

The government also facilitates and funds the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN), made up of around 3,000 employers and apprentices across nine regional networks, which provides mentoring and peer support to help smaller businesses recruit and retain apprentices.

Many apprentices will remain with their employer following their apprenticeship and 94% of apprentices who achieve their apprenticeship go into work or further training, with the majority in sustained employment.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a full review of statutory maternity pay, accrued annual leave flexibility for teachers and the gender equality implications of statutory maternity pay.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government is committed to making life better for families and has announced a review of the parental leave and pay system. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements are in scope of the Parental Leave and Pay Review, including Statutory Maternity Pay.

Specific occupational maternity and contractual leave arrangements for teachers are the remit of the Department for Education, employers and unions.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help tackle content advising individuals to misrepresent health conditions for financial gain though the benefits system.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave on 24^th March 2026 to PQ 123138.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of removing the Universal Credit health element from young people on their ability to a) meet essential costs and b) participate in employment support programmes.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We have launched The Young People and Work Report to investigate the persistently high numbers of young people out of work, education and training, with a holistic view of the welfare, health, skills and employment system. Led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, it will also identify areas for reform. The report will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have begun. The Author will produce an interim Report this May, with a full and final report in September

To ensure we can take a decision in the round we are awaiting the Young People and Work Reports conclusions before making any decisions on whether to delay access to Universal Credit Health Element to 22.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were in receipt of Universal Credit in Great Yarmouth constituency in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Monthly Universal Credit statistics showing the number of people on Universal Credit by Westminster Parliamentary Constituency are published in the People on Universal Credit dataset on Stat-Xplore, and are currently available to March 2026, with a breakdown by Employment Indicator available from November 2013 to February 2026.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Universal Credit claimants in Great Yarmouth constituency are in employment.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Monthly Universal Credit statistics showing the number of people on Universal Credit by Westminster Parliamentary Constituency are published in the People on Universal Credit dataset on Stat-Xplore, and are currently available to March 2026, with a breakdown by Employment Indicator available from November 2013 to February 2026.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Carer's Credit rules where care is shared between two or more family members, each meeting the weekly hours threshold, on those people; and whether his Department plans to review eligibility to allow multiple qualifying carers to each receive the credit.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Carer’s Credit is a National Insurance credit designed to help people aged 16 to State Pension age who provide at least 20 hours of care a week for a disabled person, to build qualifying years for the State Pension, where they might otherwise miss out. The current rules allow more than one person to receive Carer’s Credit for the same cared‑for person, provided each meets the conditions for entitlement in their own right.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what number of universal credit households in the most recent quarter for which data is available were subject to a deduction; and what proportion of these households were subject to the maximum percentage reduction of 15%.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The requested information can be found in the published Universal Credit deductions statistics, December 2024 to November 2025, supplementary data Table1 and Table2, available here: Universal Credit statistics, 29 April 2013 to 8 January 2026 - GOV.UK.

The next release of these statistics is on Tuesday 12 May 2026, Universal Credit statistics, 29 April 2013 to 12 February 2026 - Official statistics announcement - GOV.UK

Further release dates are published here: universal credit - Research and statistics - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reform access to work in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the Access to Work scheme. We also considered the role of employers in creating accessible and inclusive workplaces as well as how we can shape the market for aids, appliances and assistive technology, to reduce their cost and spread their adoption.

We are using the outcomes of the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultations, the Collaboration Committees, and upcoming work of the Independent Disability Advisory Panel to inform the future direction of Access to Work. Once the outcome is established, we will consider timelines, and work closely with stakeholders to ensure an appropriate transition, including in Harpenden and Berkhamsted.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department provides for young disabled people who are transitioning to adult benefits and Universal Credit.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP notifies young people who are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) 5 months before they reach age 16 to advise them they will need to apply for Personal Independence Payment after they reach their sixteenth birthday. This is to establish if they will require an appointee and to ensure that benefits continue to be paid into the right bank account. If necessary, DLA can continue to be paid until a decision on their PIP application is made.

Where applying for Universal Credit, which can usually only be accessed from the age of 18, disabled people can access tailored support, including the independent ‘Help to Claim’ service delivered by Citizens Advice, assisted digital support, and the option to claim by phone where needed. DWP also provides reasonable adjustments, alternative communication formats, home visits, and claimants can choose to use an appointee; ensuring disabled people can access Universal Credit safely and fairly. Universal Credit Work Coaches are trained to support disabled claimants and to tailor conditionality to reflect health conditions and individual capability.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many hardship payments were made to benefit claimants in the Great Yarmouth constituency in each of the last three years.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The requested information is not readily available and to provide it would be at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what detailed breakdown he has made of planned expenditure of allocated funding for the Carer's Allowance review of £20m in 2026-27, £35m in 2027-28 and £20m in 2028-29, including (a) reductions in overpayments made to carers, (b) staffing and administrative costs associated with the reassessment of overpayments and (c) IT and system changes following recommendations made by the Independent Review of Carer's Allowance overpayments.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Available information is set out on page 19 of the Treasury Budget 2025 Policy Costings: Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in the last year for which information is available how many Personal Independence Payment Recipients who are in receipt of the Enhanced component of both Daily Living and Mobility died (a) in total and (b) who accessed PIP under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness route.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the Rt Hon member to my previous answers.

For Question UIN 127998, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 April 2026 to Question UIN 126117.

For Question UIN 127999, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 April 2026 to Question UIN 126116.

For Question UIN 128000, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 April 2026 to Question UIN 126114.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many current Personal Independence Payment recipients that have been assessed at a Personal Independence Payment assessment as having a terminal condition are in receipt of a fixed-term award; and what is the average length of these fixed-term awards.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the Rt Hon member to my previous answers.

For Question UIN 127998, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 April 2026 to Question UIN 126117.

For Question UIN 127999, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 April 2026 to Question UIN 126116.

For Question UIN 128000, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 April 2026 to Question UIN 126114.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with a Personal Independence Payment special rules award have reached the end of their 3-year award period and have had their benefits award reviewed.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the Rt Hon member to my previous answers.

For Question UIN 127998, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 April 2026 to Question UIN 126117.

For Question UIN 127999, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 April 2026 to Question UIN 126116.

For Question UIN 128000, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 April 2026 to Question UIN 126114.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support people with health conditions into work.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We know that work can support health and wellbeing, so we want everyone who can to get work and get on in work as far as possible. Disabled people and people with 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 that join up employment and health systems such as WorkWell and Employment Advisers in Talking Therapies. Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants and Connect to Work. We continue to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme.

In our Pathways to Work Green Paper we set out our Pathways to Work offer, backed by £1 billion a year of new funding by the end of the decade. We are building towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and people with health conditions on out of work benefits, building on existing initiatives.

In November 2025, Sir Charlie Mayfield published the Keep Britain Working Review, setting out recommendations to help employers create healthier, more inclusive workplaces and to reshape how Government works with employers to improve work and health outcomes. We are now working with volunteer employers, providers and regions through a Vanguard Phase to test and refine approaches that support disabled people and people with long‑term physical and mental health conditions to thrive in work. This includes developing effective stay-in-work and return-to-work practices, strengthening prevention, and building the evidence needed to spread good practice so that disabled workers and workers with long-term health conditions receive the support they need to remain in employment successfully.

The 10 Year Health Plan builds on existing work to better integrate health with employment support and incentivise greater cross-system collaboration, recognising good work is good for health. The Plan states our 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.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support people with disabilities into work.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We know that work can support health and wellbeing, so we want everyone who can to get work and get on in work as far as possible. Disabled people and people with 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 that join up employment and health systems such as WorkWell and Employment Advisers in Talking Therapies. Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants and Connect to Work. We continue to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme.

In our Pathways to Work Green Paper we set out our Pathways to Work offer, backed by £1 billion a year of new funding by the end of the decade. We are building towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and people with health conditions on out of work benefits, building on existing initiatives.

In November 2025, Sir Charlie Mayfield published the Keep Britain Working Review, setting out recommendations to help employers create healthier, more inclusive workplaces and to reshape how Government works with employers to improve work and health outcomes. We are now working with volunteer employers, providers and regions through a Vanguard Phase to test and refine approaches that support disabled people and people with long‑term physical and mental health conditions to thrive in work. This includes developing effective stay-in-work and return-to-work practices, strengthening prevention, and building the evidence needed to spread good practice so that disabled workers and workers with long-term health conditions receive the support they need to remain in employment successfully.

The 10 Year Health Plan builds on existing work to better integrate health with employment support and incentivise greater cross-system collaboration, recognising good work is good for health. The Plan states our 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.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase employment support for people receiving sickness benefits.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We know that work can support health and wellbeing, so we want everyone who can to get work and get on in work as far as possible. Disabled people and people with 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 that join up employment and health systems such as WorkWell and Employment Advisers in Talking Therapies. Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants and Connect to Work. We continue to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme.

In our Pathways to Work Green Paper we set out our Pathways to Work offer, backed by £1 billion a year of new funding by the end of the decade. We are building towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and people with health conditions on out of work benefits, building on existing initiatives.

In November 2025, Sir Charlie Mayfield published the Keep Britain Working Review, setting out recommendations to help employers create healthier, more inclusive workplaces and to reshape how Government works with employers to improve work and health outcomes. We are now working with volunteer employers, providers and regions through a Vanguard Phase to test and refine approaches that support disabled people and people with long‑term physical and mental health conditions to thrive in work. This includes developing effective stay-in-work and return-to-work practices, strengthening prevention, and building the evidence needed to spread good practice so that disabled workers and workers with long-term health conditions receive the support they need to remain in employment successfully.

The 10 Year Health Plan builds on existing work to better integrate health with employment support and incentivise greater cross-system collaboration, recognising good work is good for health. The Plan states our 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.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to answer Question 123305 from the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid Kent.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt. hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of disparities in rates of males and females not being in education, employment or training on boys and young men.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for (a) Education and (b) Business and Trade to reduce the number of young men not in education, employment or training.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that boys and young men receive targeted support to improve education, employment and training outcomes.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

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Found: What representations have been made to the DWP about the potential impact of the Chemicals (Health and

Found: would be grateful for any written evidence that the UK Government, particularly the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: DWP currently spends around £37 billion each year on housing support, including more than £13 billion

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Found: We have already done some data matching, so we have checked DWP records to confirm.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department takes to share data from HR1 redundancy notices with the Department for Work and Pensions to help ensure rapid response support is available for affected workers.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Redundancy Payments Service (RPS), acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, collects information from HR1 submissions and distributes it on a daily basis to the appropriate government departments and agencies who offer job brokering services and/or training services.

These agencies include The Department for Work and Pensions who provide rapid response services in England and Wales and the Scottish Government’s Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) who provide these services in Scotland.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate has been made of the long-term cost to the NHS of (a) delayed and (b) disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that a particular treatment may not be available at local hospitals, which would mean that travel to a specialist centre would be required, in order to receive the best possible care. The Department also knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for patients, including their unpaid carers.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met.

The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long-term National Health Service costs, the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of patients and unpaid carers, and the potential impact of travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment. In addition, the Department has not made a formal estimate of the long-term cost to the NHS of delayed and disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.

The NHS in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital, or other NHS premises, for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of (a) patients and (b) unpaid carers.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that a particular treatment may not be available at local hospitals, which would mean that travel to a specialist centre would be required, in order to receive the best possible care. The Department also knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for patients, including their unpaid carers.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met.

The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long-term National Health Service costs, the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of patients and unpaid carers, and the potential impact of travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment. In addition, the Department has not made a formal estimate of the long-term cost to the NHS of delayed and disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.

The NHS in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital, or other NHS premises, for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long term NHS costs.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that a particular treatment may not be available at local hospitals, which would mean that travel to a specialist centre would be required, in order to receive the best possible care. The Department also knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for patients, including their unpaid carers.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met.

The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long-term National Health Service costs, the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of patients and unpaid carers, and the potential impact of travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment. In addition, the Department has not made a formal estimate of the long-term cost to the NHS of delayed and disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.

The NHS in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital, or other NHS premises, for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises that a particular treatment may not be available at local hospitals, which would mean that travel to a specialist centre would be required, in order to receive the best possible care. The Department also knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for patients, including their unpaid carers.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met.

The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to access specialist cancer treatments on patient outcomes and long-term National Health Service costs, the potential impact of prolonged or distant cancer treatment on the personal finances of patients and unpaid carers, and the potential impact of travel distance and associated costs on access to specialist cancer treatment. In addition, the Department has not made a formal estimate of the long-term cost to the NHS of delayed and disrupted access to specialist cancer treatment.

The NHS in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital, or other NHS premises, for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the (a) average and (b) total out of pocket costs incurred by patients and families accessing proton beam therapy, including travel, accommodation and subsistence, in each of the last five years.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not collect data on patients eligible for this treatment, associated out-of-pocket costs, and the number of individuals who have self-funded their therapy. However, NHS England and integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel.

The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme and who are on a low income may be able to claim travel costs through the Department for Work and Pensions via Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the level of skilled professional workforce required to meet the long-term demand of the social care sector; and what steps he is taking to meet that target.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Demand for long‑term care is projected to rise markedly over the next decade, driven by growth in the older population. Current projections from Skills for Care, and the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre at the London School of Economics suggest that this would require workforce growth of approximately 2% to 3% per year to broadly keep pace with demand.

Recent data from Skills for Care shows a 3.2% increase in filled posts in domiciliary care and a 1.4% increase in residential care between March 2025 and February 2026.

The Department’s immediate priority is to support the adult social care sector to meet current demand by improving recruitment, retention, and workforce stability. While responsibility for workforce planning and delivery sits primarily with local authorities and providers, the Department is taking action to support the sector and improve its sustainability.

This includes introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to improve pay, and terms and conditions, delivering a national recruitment campaign to promote care as a career, working with the Department for Work and Pensions to support domestic recruitment, and continuing to monitor workforce capacity through Skills for Care data, the Capacity Tracker, and intelligence from sector partners.

The Department of Health and Social Care is also taking action to professionalise and upskill the workforce, which is essential for both short-term capacity and long-term sustainability. This includes implementing the Care Workforce Pathway as the first universal career structure for adult social care, investing a further £10 million this financial year through the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme to fund training and qualifications including the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, providing £2.3 million to support newly qualified social workers through the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment, and piloting a fund to enable adult social care nurses to prescribe medications and support care workers to take on healthcare activities.

Together, these measures aim to improve retention through clearer progression, better recognition of skills, and increased opportunities for development, while supporting the sector to meet rising and increasingly complex demand.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what level of skilled professional workforce the Department estimates is needed to meet the current demand of the social care sector and what steps is it taking to meet this target.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Demand for long‑term care is projected to rise markedly over the next decade, driven by growth in the older population. Current projections from Skills for Care, and the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre at the London School of Economics suggest that this would require workforce growth of approximately 2% to 3% per year to broadly keep pace with demand.

Recent data from Skills for Care shows a 3.2% increase in filled posts in domiciliary care and a 1.4% increase in residential care between March 2025 and February 2026.

The Department’s immediate priority is to support the adult social care sector to meet current demand by improving recruitment, retention, and workforce stability. While responsibility for workforce planning and delivery sits primarily with local authorities and providers, the Department is taking action to support the sector and improve its sustainability.

This includes introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to improve pay, and terms and conditions, delivering a national recruitment campaign to promote care as a career, working with the Department for Work and Pensions to support domestic recruitment, and continuing to monitor workforce capacity through Skills for Care data, the Capacity Tracker, and intelligence from sector partners.

The Department of Health and Social Care is also taking action to professionalise and upskill the workforce, which is essential for both short-term capacity and long-term sustainability. This includes implementing the Care Workforce Pathway as the first universal career structure for adult social care, investing a further £10 million this financial year through the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme to fund training and qualifications including the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, providing £2.3 million to support newly qualified social workers through the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment, and piloting a fund to enable adult social care nurses to prescribe medications and support care workers to take on healthcare activities.

Together, these measures aim to improve retention through clearer progression, better recognition of skills, and increased opportunities for development, while supporting the sector to meet rising and increasingly complex demand.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what level of skilled professional workforce the Department estimates is needed to meet the current demand of the social care sector and what steps is it taking to meet this target.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Demand for long‑term care is projected to rise markedly over the next decade, driven by growth in the older population. Current projections from Skills for Care, and the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre at the London School of Economics suggest that this would require workforce growth of approximately 2% to 3% per year to broadly keep pace with demand.

Recent data from Skills for Care shows a 3.2% increase in filled posts in domiciliary care and a 1.4% increase in residential care between March 2025 and February 2026.

The Department’s immediate priority is to support the adult social care sector to meet current demand by improving recruitment, retention, and workforce stability. While responsibility for workforce planning and delivery sits primarily with local authorities and providers, the Department is taking action to support the sector and improve its sustainability.

This includes introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to improve pay, and terms and conditions, delivering a national recruitment campaign to promote care as a career, working with the Department for Work and Pensions to support domestic recruitment, and continuing to monitor workforce capacity through Skills for Care data, the Capacity Tracker, and intelligence from sector partners.

The Department of Health and Social Care is also taking action to professionalise and upskill the workforce, which is essential for both short-term capacity and long-term sustainability. This includes implementing the Care Workforce Pathway as the first universal career structure for adult social care, investing a further £10 million this financial year through the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme to fund training and qualifications including the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, providing £2.3 million to support newly qualified social workers through the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment, and piloting a fund to enable adult social care nurses to prescribe medications and support care workers to take on healthcare activities.

Together, these measures aim to improve retention through clearer progression, better recognition of skills, and increased opportunities for development, while supporting the sector to meet rising and increasingly complex demand.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of the signs of autism in adults.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

The Government is committed to supporting people with neurodevelopmental conditions, including autistic people, and we are taking action to increase awareness and understanding of autism across the health and social care sector, education, and employment.

The Health and Care Act 2022 requires that, from 1 July 2022, health and care providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) must ensure their staff receive specific training on autism appropriate to their role. This will ensure that health and care staff have the right knowledge and skills to provide safe and appropriate care for autistic people. As part of this, significant progress has been made to roll out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism which has been designed and is delivered alongside people with lived experience. Over three million people have now completed the e-learning component of the training and the statutory Code of Practice for this training has been published.

NHS England has also taken action to increase understanding of autism within mental health services specifically by supporting the transition of the National Autism Trainer Programme in mental health services to become embedded 'business as usual' training. 5,000 trainers have been trained who will be cascading the training to teams across mental health services, residential special schools and colleges, and youth justice settings. NHS England also commissioned the Royal College of Psychiatrists to deliver the National Autism Training Programme for Psychiatrists, with over 300 psychiatrists trained in the past three years.

Work is also underway to raise awareness of autism in education settings. The Schools White Paper, Every child achieving and thriving, and consultation on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms published on 23 February outline plans to increase education staff understanding of SEND, including autism, through improved training and better access to experts, building on the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme. The Every child achieving and thriving White Paper is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/every-child-achieving-and-thriving

The Government is also committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity, including autism, in the workplace and the Department for Work and Pensions launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity in January 2025 to advise on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work.

Government responsibility for delivering research into autism is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation, which includes the Medical Research Council (MRC).

The MRC generally focusses on early biomedical research, including cellular and animal models, while the NIHR funds translational and applied research, where treatments and interventions are tested in real world populations and health and care settings. An example of NIHR investment in autism research is the £2.8 million SAFE trial, which aims to develop interventions to better support and improve the wellbeing of families of autistic children. As well as funding research itself, the Department of Health and Social Care invests significantly in research expertise and capacity, specialist facilities, support services, and collaborations to support and deliver research in England, known as NIHR infrastructure. This includes the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, which has supported research into the brain signalling of individuals with autism to help develop a range of targeted medicine choices.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including autism.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the potential impact of climate change-driven food inflation on food security.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is taking action to reduce this impact and support the continued production and supply of food for UK citizens. For example, we are actively implementing the third National Adaptation Programme which sets out a range of measures to improve resilience and adaptation to climate change across the food supply and farming sector.

Defra works across Government to improve understanding of the drivers of food prices and their impact on households. This includes analysis of food inflation trends, engagement with industry to improve transparency where possible, and close collaboration with HM Treasury, the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care to mitigate cost pressures on consumers, particularly those most affected by the cost of living. Defra also works to reduce unnecessary regulatory costs that can feed through to consumer prices.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of climate change on food prices.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra works across Government to improve understanding of the drivers of food prices and their impact on households. This includes analysis of food inflation trends, engagement with industry to improve transparency where possible, and close collaboration with HM Treasury, DBT, DWP and DHSC to mitigate cost pressures on consumers, particularly those most affected by the cost of living.

Defra is implementing the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), which sets out a range of measures to improve resilience and adaptation to climate change across the food supply and farming sector.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the development of the next national Autism Strategy is aligned with (a) the Department for Education’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms, (b) the Department for Work and Pensions’ Young People and Work Review, and (c) the Department of Health and Social Care’s independent review into the prevalence and diagnosis of mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

The Autism Act 2009 places a duty on my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to consult on, publish, and keep under review a national strategy for meeting the needs of autistic adults in England. My Rt Hon. Friend may choose to revise the strategy, and if so, must publish it as revised.

We are committed to publishing a new cross-Government autism strategy. The current strategy will remain in effect until a revised strategy is published. We are carefully considering our approach to developing a new autism strategy, including our plans to work with other Government departments and engage with stakeholders, including autistic people and their families, and will set out a position in due course.

We recognise that a large amount of evidence was gathered by the House of Lords Autism Act 2009 Inquiry Committee and we will consider this evidence, along with evidence from other government and independent reviews, papers, and reports. We recognise that meaningful engagement takes time, so a balance will need to be struck on the extent of the further engagement required.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department have taken to help support research into the causes of autism.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

The Government is committed to supporting people with neurodevelopmental conditions, including autistic people, and we are taking action to increase awareness and understanding of autism across the health and social care sector, education, and employment.

The Health and Care Act 2022 requires that, from 1 July 2022, health and care providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) must ensure their staff receive specific training on autism appropriate to their role. This will ensure that health and care staff have the right knowledge and skills to provide safe and appropriate care for autistic people. As part of this, significant progress has been made to roll out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism which has been designed and is delivered alongside people with lived experience. Over three million people have now completed the e-learning component of the training and the statutory Code of Practice for this training has been published.

NHS England has also taken action to increase understanding of autism within mental health services specifically by supporting the transition of the National Autism Trainer Programme in mental health services to become embedded 'business as usual' training. 5,000 trainers have been trained who will be cascading the training to teams across mental health services, residential special schools and colleges, and youth justice settings. NHS England also commissioned the Royal College of Psychiatrists to deliver the National Autism Training Programme for Psychiatrists, with over 300 psychiatrists trained in the past three years.

Work is also underway to raise awareness of autism in education settings. The Schools White Paper, Every child achieving and thriving, and consultation on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms published on 23 February outline plans to increase education staff understanding of SEND, including autism, through improved training and better access to experts, building on the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme. The Every child achieving and thriving White Paper is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/every-child-achieving-and-thriving

The Government is also committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity, including autism, in the workplace and the Department for Work and Pensions launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity in January 2025 to advise on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work.

Government responsibility for delivering research into autism is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation, which includes the Medical Research Council (MRC).

The MRC generally focusses on early biomedical research, including cellular and animal models, while the NIHR funds translational and applied research, where treatments and interventions are tested in real world populations and health and care settings. An example of NIHR investment in autism research is the £2.8 million SAFE trial, which aims to develop interventions to better support and improve the wellbeing of families of autistic children. As well as funding research itself, the Department of Health and Social Care invests significantly in research expertise and capacity, specialist facilities, support services, and collaborations to support and deliver research in England, known as NIHR infrastructure. This includes the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, which has supported research into the brain signalling of individuals with autism to help develop a range of targeted medicine choices.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including autism.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his department is carrying out work alongside other Government departments to address health and employment impacts of migraines.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise the substantial economic and National Health Service burden of migraines, and there are an estimated 16,500 emergency admissions per year for migraines that could be avoided, costing the NHS £11.5 million.

The Department for Health and Social Care and the Department for Work and Pensions are committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including migraines, and have a range of support available so individuals can stay in work and get back into work. Measures include Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and WorkWell, as well as support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants.

At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with migraine such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme. The GIRFT Programme is also working to standardise care, promote better use of preventive treatments, and reduce reliance on accident and emergency for migraine crises by empowering general practices to manage headache disorders effectively.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the closure of Rutherford Health facilities on local businesses and levels of employment.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of the closure of Rutherford Health facilities on local businesses. Responsibility for healthcare service provision sits with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS bodies.

The Government’s priority is to ensure that affected workers are supported, and the Department for Work and Pensions stands ready to provide assistance through Jobcentre Plus and its Rapid Response Service where required. The Government continues to work with local partners to understand and mitigate any wider impacts on employment in affected areas.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2026 to Question 112445 on Shipping and with reference to section 4 of her Department's publication entitled Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry: 2025, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) level of the availability and (b) uptake of ratings apprenticeships.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department remains committed to increasing the number of seafaring jobs and ratings apprenticeships in the UK. The apprenticeship levy remains available for use in the maritime industry, including for ratings apprenticeships in England, and the Department and MCA continues to fund 50% of a cadetship through the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) fund, which was recently increased to £19.4m.

Apprenticeships are a devolved matter, with ratings apprenticeships available in England in areas including deck rating, marine engineering and officer of the watch. Officials are engaging with industry and the Department for Work and Pensions to increase the uptake of maritime apprenticeships, particularly in areas where industry has reported skills shortages. We regularly discuss relevant areas with other Departments.

The recommendations of the review of the effectiveness of funding for UK seafarer training are being assessed by officials.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to the Answer of 17 February 2026 to Question 112445 on Shipping, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the (a) availability and (b) uptake of ratings apprenticeships in England and Wales.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department remains committed to increasing the number of seafaring jobs and ratings apprenticeships in the UK. The apprenticeship levy remains available for use in the maritime industry, including for ratings apprenticeships in England, and the Department and MCA continues to fund 50% of a cadetship through the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) fund, which was recently increased to £19.4m.

Apprenticeships are a devolved matter, with ratings apprenticeships available in England in areas including deck rating, marine engineering and officer of the watch. Officials are engaging with industry and the Department for Work and Pensions to increase the uptake of maritime apprenticeships, particularly in areas where industry has reported skills shortages. We regularly discuss relevant areas with other Departments.

The recommendations of the review of the effectiveness of funding for UK seafarer training are being assessed by officials.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the recommendations in the independent review of the effectiveness of funding for UK seafarer training, published by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on 13 April 2026.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department remains committed to increasing the number of seafaring jobs and ratings apprenticeships in the UK. The apprenticeship levy remains available for use in the maritime industry, including for ratings apprenticeships in England, and the Department and MCA continues to fund 50% of a cadetship through the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) fund, which was recently increased to £19.4m.

Apprenticeships are a devolved matter, with ratings apprenticeships available in England in areas including deck rating, marine engineering and officer of the watch. Officials are engaging with industry and the Department for Work and Pensions to increase the uptake of maritime apprenticeships, particularly in areas where industry has reported skills shortages. We regularly discuss relevant areas with other Departments.

The recommendations of the review of the effectiveness of funding for UK seafarer training are being assessed by officials.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what percentage payment was made in 2024 (when the annual Pension Increase was 6.7%) to Civil Servants who had retired before 2016, for the Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP/COD) component of their public service pension in respect of each of the following: (a) pre ’88 GMP, (b) post ’88 GMP up to 3%, (c) post ’88 GMP over 3%, (d) and if PI is applied to the GMP part of all public service pension schemes in the same way as above.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) provides for annual Pension Increases (PI) in line with the relevant September to September annual increase, using the relevant Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure for indexation. In April 2024, this increase was 6.7%. The application of this increase to the Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) component for members who retired before 2016 depends on the period in which the GMP was earned and the legislation governing the indexation of "contracted-out" benefits.

For a Civil Servant who retired before 2016 and reached State Pension Age before 6 April 2016:

(a) Pre-1988 GMP: In accordance with statutory requirements, the CSPS does not apply a pension increase to the pre-1988 GMP component. For these members, indexation on this part of the pension is traditionally provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) through the State Pension.

(b) Post-1988 GMP up to 3%: The CSPS is responsible for increasing the post-1988 GMP by the rate of the Pensions Increase Order, capped at 3%. For the 2024 increase, the scheme paid the maximum 3% on this component.

(c) Post-1988 GMP over 3%: The CSPS does not pay the increase on the post-1988 GMP above the 3% cap. For these members, the remaining 3.7% (the difference between the 6.7% CPI and the 3% scheme cap) is typically paid by the DWP as part of the member's State Pension.

Data regarding the specific proportion of a total pension payment that is comprised of GMP for each of the approximately 500,000 pensioners is not held centrally.

(d) Application across Public Service Pension Schemes: The rules for the indexation of GMP described above are derived from the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971 and the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 and apply across the main public service pension schemes.

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Found: of Health and Social Care 16/01/2026 Revenue Policy Payments Global & Public Health DEPARTMENT FOR WORK AND PENSIONS

Found: (DWP)

Found: (DWP) DWP_2340 £225,292.45 Electricity CF14 3UW Govn Department of Health and Social Care

Found: This will require proof of low income19, which would need to be verified by the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: (e) To evidence a pension: (i) Official documentation from: (1) The Department for Work and Pensions

Found: insurance contributions • check no recourse to public funds condition by contacting the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: (DWP), Enginuity, Skillsbuilder, Innovate UK Workforce Foresighting Hub (WFH) and the

Found: evidence for employers or to support a claim to health-related benefits through the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: Corporate Department for Work and Pensions 76888.58 5100004099 2026-03-18 00:00:00 Accommodation Costs

Found: Mr D Foat v Department for Work and Pensions: [2026] EAT 61

Found: Mr D Foat v Department for Work and Pensions: [2026] EAT 61