Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
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.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
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.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
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:
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.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
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.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
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.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
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.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has considered introducing a minimum income guarantee.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government is committed to ensuring the welfare system supports those who need it most in a way that is fiscally sustainable. The current welfare system accounts for people’s circumstances and the additional needs and costs faced by some individuals in the way that a minimum income guarantee does not.
The Government believes in a tax and welfare system that ensures it always pays to work, with the welfare system acting as a safety net for those families that need extra help. The Government has uprated benefit rates for 2025/26 in line with inflation, with 5.7 million Universal Credit households forecast to gain by an average of £150 annually. In addition, we have introduced our Universal Credit bill which legislates to rebalance Universal Credit by bringing in, for the first time ever, a sustained above inflation increase to the UC standard allowance for all claimants.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
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 that the correct accessibility equipment is available at all Job Centres.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of its ongoing commitment to service accessibility, the Department provides Customer Computers in all Jobcentres. These devices feature operating systems equipped with integrated assistive technologies—such as screen readers and screen magnifiers—and are managed independently from the broader DWP IT infrastructure.
In addition to accessible software and operating systems, physical peripherals including specialised keyboards, headphones, and tracker-ball mice are available to meet reasonable adjustment needs.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is presently enhancing its customer equipment portfolio. The current range of customer computers will be upgraded to a new operating system that offers improved accessibility and enhanced adherence to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
Each device is configured so that the browser and operating system deliver comprehensive support for a wide variety of web accessibility tools, including but not limited to:
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to pursue an aviation safety agreement with the European Union to (a) allow the mutual recognition of flight crew licences and (b) reduce the barriers faced by UK nationals seeking to convert their European Union Aviation Safety Agency licences.
Answered by Mike Kane
The Government has been clear that it will work to reset the relationship with Europe, to strengthen ties and tackle barriers to trade. Agreements on UK-EU licensing recognition must be established through the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and agreed by the UK-EU Specialised Committee on Aviation Safety. The Government and the UK Civil Aviation Authority, as the UK’s specialist independent aviation regulator, are continuing to seek expansions to the Aviation Safety Chapter of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement where appropriate. An effective aviation licensing and approvals regime that supports UK aviation remains a priority for us, and the UK is keen to establish closer cooperation on personnel licensing where possible to ease the current burden on UK and EU personnel and industry.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Royal Medical Colleges on child (a) health and (b) rights in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government remains deeply concerned about the impact of the conflict on children. While there have been no formal meetings with the Royal Medical Colleges on these issues, Ministers regularly engage with medical and humanitarian organisations and continue monitoring their assessments closely. In January 2025, the UK announced £17 million to support the delivery of food, healthcare and shelter via the United Nations Children's Fund, UK-Med and the World Health Organization. This included support for 14,000 children with education and welfare, and over 465,000 medical consultations, many involving paediatric care. We continue pressing for full humanitarian access, the protection of aid workers and remain committed to upholding children's rights in Gaza.