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 merits of (a) extending the period during which Statutory Maternity Pay is paid at 90 per cent of average weekly earnings from six to 12 weeks and (b) linking the rate payable for the remaining 33 weeks to the National Minimum Wage; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the current level of Statutory Maternity Pay on (i) the financial circumstances of new mothers and (ii) the timing of their return to work.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon. Members to the answer given on 24 April 2026 to Question UIN 124467.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to provide long-term funding certainty for the UK Youth Parliament; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of uncertainty over future funding on Members of Youth Parliament elected in Northern Ireland for two-years.

Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

In March 2026, the Government announced £453,000 of funding for the UK Youth Parliament for 2026/27, to be delivered by the National Youth Agency. No decision has been made about the future of UKYP beyond March 2027.

We recognise the importance of providing clarity for Members of the Youth Parliament, including those in Northern Ireland. No specific assessment has been undertaken of the potential impact of funding uncertainty on Members of Youth Parliament in Northern Ireland.

The Government is committed to strengthening young people’s participation in democratic processes and decision-making. We are currently considering how best to deliver our ambitions for youth empowerment, informed by engagement with young people and youth organisations, including Members of Youth Parliament. We will continue to engage with colleagues in the devolved administrations on our respective approaches to youth empowerment and will share learning as this work progresses.

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