Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle under-16s illegally riding e-scooters and e-bikes.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government takes the illegal and anti-social use of e-scooters and e-bikes seriously, including by those aged under 16.
Privately owned e-scooters are classed as motor vehicles and are illegal to use on public roads, pavements and other public places. Police have powers to seize vehicles being used unlawfully and to take enforcement action where road traffic offences are committed.
The Government has strengthened the powers available to the police to tackle anti-social behaviour involving vehicles, including e-scooters and e-bikes.
Section 8 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, removed the requirement for a prior warning before police can seize a vehicle being used anti-socially under section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002. This makes it easier and quicker for police to seize vehicles being used anti-socially, supporting more immediate action against off-road bikes, dangerous e-scooters and other vehicles being used unlawfully or irresponsibly. The Government also reduced vehicle disposal timeframes to seven days in July 2026, helping to prevent offenders, including those under 16, to reclaim their vehicles and continue to cause nuisance.
Forces are encouraged to work with local authorities and communities to identify local solutions to persistent problems, including those involving off-road bikes and motorcycles.
Under the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, every neighbourhood has named, and contactable officers dedicated to addressing crime and anti-social behaviour in the local area.
The Home Office works closely with policing partners to ensure they have the powers they need to carry out effective enforcement, while the Department for Transport continues to lead on the legal framework for e-scooters and e-bikes and public awareness of the rules governing their use.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on helping to ensure that prisoners repatriated to their country of origin will serve out their entire sentence.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is committed to removing foreign national offenders from our prisons wherever possible, ensuring they are no longer a burden on the taxpayer and cannot return to this country. While the Ministry of Justice is responsible for prisoner transfer arrangements, we work closely with the Home Office and other government departments on the removal of foreign national offenders.
Prisoner transfers take place under legally binding international treaties that contain robust safeguards governing the recognition and enforcement of sentences by the receiving State. Transfers are only approved where the Department is satisfied that the sentence will continue to be enforced in a manner comparable to that imposed by the courts of England and Wales.
Before agreeing to any transfer, the Department carefully assess the receiving State's proposed sentence enforcement and release arrangements. Each case is considered on its individual merits. The nature of the offence is not the only determining factor, the Department considers the views of victims and wider risk to public confidence in the criminal justice system if the transfer were to go ahead. Where there is any doubt that a prisoner will serve out their sentence in accordance with the applicable legal framework, the transfer will not proceed.
The Department continues to work closely with international counterparts to strengthen prisoner transfer arrangements and support the effective removal of foreign national offenders, while ensuring appropriate safeguards remain in place following transfer.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to prevent the repatriation of prisoners sentenced for violent crimes when there is any doubt that the prisoner will serve out the remainder of their sentence.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is committed to removing foreign national offenders from our prisons wherever possible, ensuring they are no longer a burden on the taxpayer and cannot return to this country. While the Ministry of Justice is responsible for prisoner transfer arrangements, we work closely with the Home Office and other government departments on the removal of foreign national offenders.
Prisoner transfers take place under legally binding international treaties that contain robust safeguards governing the recognition and enforcement of sentences by the receiving State. Transfers are only approved where the Department is satisfied that the sentence will continue to be enforced in a manner comparable to that imposed by the courts of England and Wales.
Before agreeing to any transfer, the Department carefully assess the receiving State's proposed sentence enforcement and release arrangements. Each case is considered on its individual merits. The nature of the offence is not the only determining factor, the Department considers the views of victims and wider risk to public confidence in the criminal justice system if the transfer were to go ahead. Where there is any doubt that a prisoner will serve out their sentence in accordance with the applicable legal framework, the transfer will not proceed.
The Department continues to work closely with international counterparts to strengthen prisoner transfer arrangements and support the effective removal of foreign national offenders, while ensuring appropriate safeguards remain in place following transfer.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help ensure that repatriated prisoners will serve out their full sentence in the country they have been repatriated to.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is committed to removing foreign national offenders from our prisons wherever possible, ensuring they are no longer a burden on the taxpayer and cannot return to this country. While the Ministry of Justice is responsible for prisoner transfer arrangements, we work closely with the Home Office and other government departments on the removal of foreign national offenders.
Prisoner transfers take place under legally binding international treaties that contain robust safeguards governing the recognition and enforcement of sentences by the receiving State. Transfers are only approved where the Department is satisfied that the sentence will continue to be enforced in a manner comparable to that imposed by the courts of England and Wales.
Before agreeing to any transfer, the Department carefully assess the receiving State's proposed sentence enforcement and release arrangements. Each case is considered on its individual merits. The nature of the offence is not the only determining factor, the Department considers the views of victims and wider risk to public confidence in the criminal justice system if the transfer were to go ahead. Where there is any doubt that a prisoner will serve out their sentence in accordance with the applicable legal framework, the transfer will not proceed.
The Department continues to work closely with international counterparts to strengthen prisoner transfer arrangements and support the effective removal of foreign national offenders, while ensuring appropriate safeguards remain in place following transfer.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
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 disbenefits of tying pension growth to inflation.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. That includes always ensuring State Pension entitlements increase at least in line with inflation each year. We will honour our manifesto commitment to maintain the Triple Lock in its current form for the rest of this Parliament.
From April 2030, pensioners will be protected by an adjusted Triple Lock. The State Pension will rise every year by at least the higher of CPI inflation or 2.5%, and by more where needed to maintain its protected value relative to average earnings.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of tying pension growth to inflation.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. That includes always ensuring State Pension entitlements increase at least in line with inflation each year. We will honour our manifesto commitment to maintain the Triple Lock in its current form for the rest of this Parliament.
From April 2030, pensioners will be protected by an adjusted Triple Lock. The State Pension will rise every year by at least the higher of CPI inflation or 2.5%, and by more where needed to maintain its protected value relative to average earnings.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
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 number of people migrated to Universal Credit and receiving Transitional Protection Payments that are worse off in real terms than before they were migrated.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Please find the number of people on universal credit and receiving transitional protection payments on DWP Stat-Xplore here.
No assessment has been made of the number of people who may be worse off in real terms following their move to Universal Credit.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps is he taking to support people receiving Transitional Protection Payments that are in a worse financial position than before they migrated.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Please find the number of people on universal credit and receiving transitional protection payments on DWP Stat-Xplore here.
No assessment has been made of the number of people who may be worse off in real terms following their move to Universal Credit.