Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
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 a) making Universal Credit and other benefits data available to Electoral Registration Officers for the purposes of Automatic Voter Registration, and b) allowing people who update their address with his Department to update their voter registration automatically at the same time.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP promotes a culture of encouraging data sharing for public good whilst ensuring this is done in a secure, legal and ethical way. DWP require both a lawful basis and legal power to share personal data.
DWP has been supporting Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) with since 2014 when Individual Electoral Registration (IER) was introduced in England and Wales. You can now register to vote online in as little as 3 minutes. All you need is your name, address, date of birth and National Insurance number. DWP data is used within this process.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claims from single parents with (a) Work preparation and (b) All work-related activity Claimant Commitment requirements have been closed since 2023 due to non-acceptance of the Commitment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The requested information is not held. A claimant must accept their claimant commitment to be assigned a conditionality group. Failure to do so will result in their claim being closed.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
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 streamline the process for parents on Universal Credit to claim upfront childcare costs through the Flexible Support Fund.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP is committed to improving its services continuously. The Department is strengthening delivery of Upfront Childcare Costs (UFCCC), so that eligible parents receive timely support when moving into work. As part of this, guidance has been streamlined to ensure agents provide consistent UFCCC support to all eligible claimants.
The application process is being streamlined to make it simpler for work coaches and customers. The service will continue to be reviewed to identify further opportunities for improvement.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a) making DVLA driving licence data available to Electoral Registration Officers for the purposes of Automatic Voter Registration, and b) allowing people who update their address on their driving licences with DVLA to update their voter registration automatically at the same time.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
While voter registration processes are a matter for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MCHLG), officials at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency are discussing the potential for using driver licensing information for these purposes with MCHLG officials.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
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 expand the use of optometry-led diagnostic and treatment pathways.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them.
This can already include the commissioning of enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices, including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucoma referral refinement services.
NHS England accelerator pilots have demonstrated that improved IT connectivity and a single point of access can significantly speed up eye care referrals and support more patients to be managed in the community, in line with the ambitions in the 10-Year Health Plan.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
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 expand the use of community optometry services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them.
This can already include the commissioning of enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices, including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucoma referral refinement services.
NHS England accelerator pilots have demonstrated that improved IT connectivity and a single point of access can significantly speed up eye care referrals and support more patients to be managed in the community, in line with the ambitions in the 10-Year Health Plan.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83204, what step he is taking to secure a recurrent budget for abiraterone in high risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer, in the context of it being ranked top priority for routine commissioning at the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group Prioritisation Meeting in 2024-25.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are pleased to confirm that NHS England announced on 16 January that patients with non‑metastatic prostate cancer will now have access to abiraterone in combination with prednisolone, where it is deemed to be clinically beneficial. This development has been made possible by the health service buying and delivering treatments at better value.
This decision marks a major step forward in the Government’s ongoing work to improve cancer outcomes, ensure earlier access to effective treatments, and support men and their families across England.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of independent research into the impact of 120 dB fireworks on animals and vulnerable groups.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
To inform any future decisions in relation to the regulation of fireworks, I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks. This includes consideration of existing research into the impact of 120dB fireworks on animals and vulnerable groups, as well as evidence of action taken in other countries on this issue.
Following the recent Westminster Hall debate on two e‑petitions relating to the sale of fireworks, I will be meeting with petition leads, campaigners and colleagues from across the House to provide updates and hear their feedback directly.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he expects to complete the evidence-gathering process for deciding whether a review of fireworks legislation is required.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
To inform any future decisions in relation to the regulation of fireworks, I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks. This includes consideration of existing research into the impact of 120dB fireworks on animals and vulnerable groups, as well as evidence of action taken in other countries on this issue.
Following the recent Westminster Hall debate on two e‑petitions relating to the sale of fireworks, I will be meeting with petition leads, campaigners and colleagues from across the House to provide updates and hear their feedback directly.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve road safety awareness.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Road Safety Strategy, published on 07 January 2026 by this Government, marks a turning point. We are taking decisive action to make our roads safer for everyone, from new drivers taking their first lessons to older motorists wanting to maintain their independence.
The measures will save thousands of lives over the coming decade. Five new consultations were launched alongside the Road Safety Strategy. These are: motoring offences, a minimum learning period for learner drivers, eye tests for older drivers, improving moped and motorcycle training, testing and licensing and mandating vehicle safety technologies in GB type approval.
The Government’s THINK! road safety campaign delivers paid advertising to change attitudes and behaviours among those at most risk on the road, currently focused on the priority issues of speed, drink driving and drug driving. THINK! campaigns will play a key role in encouraging safer road user behaviours to support delivery of the strategy.
This will include paid campaign activity to raise awareness of any potential changes to road safety legislation, with the introduction of these potential changes also supported by wider communications including via DfT social channels and GOV.UK, media engagement and partner and stakeholder networks.
Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes. We will also continue to promote the changes via THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations.
However, as set out in the strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.
Additionally, as announced in the strategy to support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK, the government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.
Local authorities are responsible for delivering road safety education and have a statutory duty to take steps both to reduce and prevent collisions.