Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 reducing the Housing Benefit taper rate to 55 per cent for people living in supported accommodation in work.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department recognises the challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for residents in supported and temporary accommodation.
A wide range of customers currently receive rent support through Housing Benefit, including pensioners, residents in supported or temporary accommodation, and those who have not yet migrated to Universal Credit. Any amendment to the Housing Benefit taper would therefore apply across these groups.
The Housing Benefit income taper ensures that people in work are better off than those wholly reliant on benefits, and it only applies to those with earnings. However, the treatment of earnings in Housing Benefit is less generous than under Universal Credit. Consequently, while customers in supported accommodation are better off working than not working, some may face disincentives to increase their hours to maintain Universal Credit entitlement.
The Department is considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported and temporary accommodation, taking account of stakeholder views. Any future decisions on housing support will be made in the round, prioritising measures that best meet Government objectives within the current fiscal environment.
It remains our priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter and sustain employment.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Henley and Thames of 10 October 2025 on Suicide Bereavement Support Services.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We replied to the Hon. Member’s correspondence on 13 November 2025.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure Henley and Thame constituency has 99% gigabit coverage by 2032.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As part of Project Gigabit, Gigaclear is delivering a contract across South Oxfordshire to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to premises not included in suppliers’ commercial rollout plans. Approximately 3,300 premises in Henley and Thame constituency are currently included in this contract, which is expected to complete by 2026.
Additionally, approximately 250 premises within the constituency are included in a Project Gigabit contract being delivered by CityFibre covering Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and East Berkshire. This contract is currently expected to complete by 2029.
We will aim to cover the remaining premises that are not currently included in Project Gigabit or suppliers’ commercial delivery plans as far as possible as funding becomes available, in line with the objective of achieving nationwide gigabit coverage by 2032.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 88109 on Bathing Water Regulations 2013, what her planned timetable is for that policy development and research.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
DEFRA is engaged in a programme of work to ensure the Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025 can be implemented effectively, including feasibility studies to support Core Reform 2 and a pre-implementation research project on Core Reform 3. In addition, the Department is exploring how any evidence to support the delivery of wider reforms, including expanding the definition of bathers to include other water users and introducing multiple monitoring points at sites, might be developed. The timeline for detailed policy development and research will depend on the outcome of initial scoping work. DEFRA will engage with local and national stakeholders as this work progresses.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides to ICBs to ensure that patients are informed of local IVF eligibility criteria at the point of referral to fertility services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs), and we expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. No guidance has been provided by the Department to the ICBs regarding the information provided to patients at the point of referral to fertility services.
As part of the Women’s Health Strategy for England, we published data showing how many in vitro fertilisation cycles are funded by the NHS in each area of England, to promote more transparency about what services commissioners are offering. This data is reviewed and updated periodically and was last updated on 11 September 2025. Further information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent data his Department holds on the number of NHS-funded IVF cycles provided in each Integrated Care Board area.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs), and we expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. No guidance has been provided by the Department to the ICBs regarding the information provided to patients at the point of referral to fertility services.
As part of the Women’s Health Strategy for England, we published data showing how many in vitro fertilisation cycles are funded by the NHS in each area of England, to promote more transparency about what services commissioners are offering. This data is reviewed and updated periodically and was last updated on 11 September 2025. Further information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on reforms to the tax and benefits system for young people in supported accommodation.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Chancellor regularly engages with Cabinet colleagues across a wide range of policy issues including tax and welfare.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of (a) the potential merits of establishing a regulatory framework for the registration and road use of three- and four-wheeled electric bicycles, (b) the adequacy of road safety standards to ensure that these vehicles can operate safely alongside other road users and (c) the potential impact of the wider adoption of properly regulated three- and four-wheeled e-bikes on the environment, accessibility and congestion.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The existing regulatory framework for electric cycles is comprised of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 and the Pedal Cycle (Construction and Use) Regulations 1983. These regulations apply to cycles with two or more wheels and are therefore applicable to three and four-wheeled electric cycles.
These cycles must be constructed to meet the standards in the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008. European Standard EN15194 is the industry standard which can contribute to meeting these regulations.
No assessment concerning the environment, accessibility or congestion is planned in respect of these cycles.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the goals for to older people's mental health services in the 10-Year Plan for the NHS are met in relation to (a) prevention, (b) early intervention, (c) access to community-based support and (d) in general.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to transform mental health services, including for older people, to improve access and treatment, and to promote good mental health and wellbeing for the nation. This includes improving early intervention and assertive outreach, investing in mental health emergency departments and neighbourhood mental health centres, and increasing access to talking therapies and evidence-based digital interventions.
The recently published Medium Term Planning Framework sets targets for integrated care boards to expand coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges, expand NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement Support schemes, and eliminate inappropriate out-of-area placements by 2029.
We are also committed to working beyond the health system to create an environment that promotes good mental health, prevents people from developing mental health problems, and improves the lives of people living with a mental health problem.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Henley and Thames of 10 October 2025 on the importance of police referrals to suicide bereavement support services.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Minister for Police and Crime Prevention will reply in due course.