Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of interdisciplinary apprenticeships.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

​​Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

​This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and ​skills offer, which will offer greater flexibility to employers and learners in England ​and support the industrial strategy. Apprenticeships standards, developed in ​conjunction with employers, are designed to provide learners with full competence in ​a specific occupation.​

​In August 2025, the government introduced the first seven foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, including construction and health and social care. Foundation apprenticeships support entry level occupations by providing a broad curriculum focussing on the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for the job, as well as employability skills to support the transition from full time education to work. The onsite trades foundation apprenticeship, for example, include aspects of a range of specialist occupations, such as brick layer, carpenter, and painter and decorator, supporting entry level competence as a construction worker.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress her Department has made with the policing sector on supporting the effective implementation of the McCloud remedy.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the police pension regulations, the police pension scheme is locally administered by individual police forces. The Home Office is working with the policing sector to support the effective implementation of the McCloud remedy for all affected individuals.

It is for each Chief Constable, in their role as scheme manager for their force, to determine their administrative timetable, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022, including when remedy payments will be distributed.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to help ensure that consumers impacted by mis-sold car finance deals receive compensation.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Supreme Court has now clarified the law in relation to commission practices in the motor finance sector. The government respects the Supreme Court’s judgment and is working closely with the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority to understand the impact for both firms and consumers.

The government notes the recent statement by the Financial Conduct Authority that it will be consulting on a consumer redress scheme in October. The FCA propose that the scheme covers discretionary commission arrangements - a practice banned in 2021 that allowed dealers to vary interest rates for higher commissions. The FCA will also consult on which non-discretionary commission agreements should be included.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the stigma around benefit assessments.

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

Following the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation, we have launched our wider review of the PIP assessment. At the heart of this will be coproduction with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and MPs so their views and voices are heard. We’ve also made a commitment that those with severe, lifelong conditions will not be called for a UC reassessment – allowing them to live with dignity and security.

We are also taking action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits. This includes exploring ways to improve trust and transparency in Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Work Capability Assessments through reviewing our approach to safeguarding, recording assessments to increase trust in the process, and moving back to having more face-to-face assessments while continuing to meet the needs of people who may require different methods of assessment. We are committed to providing a multi-channel health assessment service. WCAs are still cleared using a questionnaire and supporting medical evidence where possible. Where this is not possible, individuals will be required to have a face-to-face, telephone or video assessment.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure jobseekers with complex disabilities receive the support and equipment they need to look for work.

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

We are delivering the biggest employment support package for disabled people and people with health conditions in more than a generation, worth a total of £3.8 billion over this Parliament. We are building towards a guarantee of personalised work, health and skills support to improve returns to work. Once fully rolled out this will include:

• A support conversation that will help identify the best next steps, including a range of personalised and more intensive support

• Specialist one-to-one support – this will build on evidence from recent pilot schemes, which has shown that, for some people, offering regular in-depth personalised appointments with a consistent advisor can help people who are ready to move towards or into work

• More intensive longer-term work, health and skills support for those who are ready – building on evidence from programmes like the Work and Health Programme, Work Choice, Individual Placement and Support for those with severe mental illness or substance dependency, and evidence from successful skills training.

• Periodic engagement for people who are not yet ready for more work-focused engagement. Content and frequency will vary depending on individual need and - if and when ready - we will signpost or refer onto other support.

Further to this, we are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform. The Access to Work Scheme provides grant funding to disabled people, as well as those with a health condition, to support workplace adjustments that go beyond what would normally be expected from an employer through their duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010.

The two main types of provision are Assessments and Elements. Assessments seek to understand a person's barriers and how they may be overcome, whilst elements are the types of support to overcome them. These may include specialist equipment, physical adaptations to premises, help with the cost of travelling to work or a support worker. Not all claimants will require an assessment

To be eligible for the Scheme, you must have a physical or mental health condition or disability that means you need support to do your job or get to and from work. You must be 16 or over, be in (or about to start or return to) paid work, and live in England, Scotland or Wales. Customers starting a job within 4 weeks are prioritised. The Scheme also includes the Mental Health Support Service (MHSS) which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their wellbeing while in employment.

In addition, the Flexible Support Fund is a non-recoverable discretionary fund used to support eligible customers to move into employment, increase their earnings whilst in work (through increased hours or job change) or move closer to the labour market. Common barriers it can help to remove include, childcare costs; travel costs, clothing, and essential tools and equipment. For example, a screen reader pen might be purchased to aid a disabled customer’s job search or financial assistance to attend specific job or training related interviews for disabled people and, if necessary, a chaperone.

The Flexible Support Fund is locally managed and eligible customers’ needs are considered on a case-by-case basis by Jobcentre Plus Work coaches. Where the existing menu of support offered by Jobcentre Plus does not provide what customers need, and if there is no other non-contracted provision in the area, the Fund can be used to purchase specific training and support for eligible customers. Eligibility for the Flexible Support Fund includes qualifying benefits and Labour Market regimes.

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 poverty on NHS spending.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards receive funding allocations from NHS England to pay for the services they commission. Most funding is allocated as a non-ringfenced budget, informed by a calculation of what would constitute a “fair share” of funding based on a formula that takes account of population, age, need, deprivation and health inequalities considerations.

Poverty will clearly have a bearing on these factors included in the formula, and to the extent that is the case, areas with higher levels of poverty will receive higher funding per capita other things being equal.

Edinburgh Kiltwalk 2025

Dame Annette Brooke

Mental health care in Gaza

Oversight of automated moderation by social media companies

20th anniversary of Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust

Air Ambulance Week 2025 (No. 2)

City Cabs 100th anniversary

Final delivery plan on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

First female Astronomer Royal

40mph default speed limit on country lanes

Eating disorders and online harms

Motor neurone disease

Tom Dunlop's UK racecourse charity cycle

Celebrating Mona Shah MBE

100th anniversary of Devon in Sight

Farmers, growers and the supermarket supply chain

Found: Bolton North East) Natalie Fleet (Labour; Bolsover) Catherine Fookes (Labour; Monmouthshire) Christine Jardine

Found: Bolton North East) Natalie Fleet (Labour; Bolsover) Catherine Fookes (Labour; Monmouthshire) Christine Jardine

Found: meeting Members present: Sarah Owen (Chair); Alex Brewer; David Burton-Sampson; Kirith Entwistle; Christine Jardine

Found: Bolton North East) Natalie Fleet (Labour; Bolsover) Catherine Fookes (Labour; Monmouthshire) Christine Jardine

Found: Bolton North East) Natalie Fleet (Labour; Bolsover) Catherine Fookes (Labour; Monmouthshire) Christine Jardine

Found: Chair); Alex Brewer; David Burton-Sampson; Kirith Entwistle; Natalie Fleet; Catherine Fookes; Christine Jardine

Found: Thomas Zöe Franklin Ellie Chowns Tom Morrison Neil Duncan-Jordan Pippa Heylings Layla Moran Christine Jardine

Found: Thomas Zöe Franklin Ellie Chowns Tom Morrison Neil Duncan-Jordan Pippa Heylings Layla Moran Christine Jardine