Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reform the Child Maintenance Service system.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government has announced reforms to strengthen the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), including its intention to remove Direct Pay and move to a single, enhanced Collect and Pay system. This will enable the CMS to monitor all payments, identify noncompliance more quickly, and take faster enforcement action. It is estimated that these changes could lift around 20,000 fewer children in poverty (on the relative low income after housing costs measure). These reforms will be implemented when Parliamentary time allows.

To improve arrears collection, the Government will also introduce administrative liability orders to replace the current court-based process, streamlining enforcement and reducing delays. Work with HM Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Government is underway, with regulations to be brought forward as soon as possible.

In addition, the Government is reviewing the child maintenance calculation to ensure it remains fit for purpose. This includes updating the underlying research and considering how to ensure the calculation reflects current and future societal trends. Options for proposed reforms are currently being considered. Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation will be subject to extensive public consultation, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

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 effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to providing a modern and efficient service for all customers.

CMS continues to exceed key performance indicators, including application clearances, change of circumstances clearances, Collect and Pay compliance and assessment accuracy, demonstrating improved outcomes for customers.

Through the Service Modernisation Programme, CMS is expanding digital channels and self-service options, including online services like Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance and My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC) which are available 24/7. CMS has improved customer communications via SMS, email and providing improved and clearer letters. Increased use of online services ensures resources are available to support customers with addition and/or complex queries or needs with call routing improvements made to ensure faster access to caseworkers-owning teams.

In July 2025, CMS launched Customer Connect, an online service that allows caseworkers and customers to exchange information efficiently through the customer’s online account, reducing the need for phone contact. CMS is now developing plans to roll out Customer Connect across the full service and for all case types.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has an estimate for the share of electricity in demand in Scotland met by nuclear generation for each of the last five years.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Electricity, including that generated from nuclear, is traded both nationally and internationally and is not constrained to geographical areas. No estimate has been made of the contribution of nuclear generation to Scotland’s demand.

Data on Scotland’s annual electricity demand and generation are published in the UK Energy Trends article: Energy Trends: December 2025, special feature article - Electricity generation and supply in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, 2020 to 2024 - GOV.UK

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make a statement on the availability of covid booster vaccinations to lung cancer patients receiving a targeted therapy.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme is targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are older adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.

Health is largely devolved and decisions about the organisation and delivery of vaccination services, including who to vaccinate, are matters for each nation to decide. For England, the Government has accepted the JCVI advice for spring 2026 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:

- adults aged 75 years old and over;

- residents in care homes for older adults; and

- individuals aged six months old and over who are immunosuppressed.

The COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book on vaccination and immunisation sets out details of who should be included in these categories. The eligibility criteria for immunosuppression include immunosuppression due to disease or treatment. This includes patients undergoing chemotherapy leading to immunosuppression and patients undergoing radical radiotherapy.

As with all vaccination programmes, the JCVI continues to keep the COVID-19 vaccination programme under review.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on the future of FCDO jobs in East Kilbride.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to its three locations in the UK: King Charles Street in London, Hanslope Park in Milton Keynes and Abercrombie House in East Kilbride. Location is not a factor when making decisions in the FCDO restructuring process and all roles will be available to staff across all three locations, except in a very small number of cases where a specific business requirement has been identified. The FCDO has been consulting with trade unions throughout the restructure process and will continue to do so.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed restructuring within the FCDO on staff based in East Kilbride.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to its three locations in the UK: King Charles Street in London, Hanslope Park in Milton Keynes and Abercrombie House in East Kilbride. Location is not a factor when making decisions in the FCDO restructuring process and all roles will be available to staff across all three locations, except in a very small number of cases where a specific business requirement has been identified. The FCDO has been consulting with trade unions throughout the restructure process and will continue to do so.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent engagement she has had with trade unions representing FCDO staff in East Kilbride on restructuring proposals.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to its three locations in the UK: King Charles Street in London, Hanslope Park in Milton Keynes and Abercrombie House in East Kilbride. Location is not a factor when making decisions in the FCDO restructuring process and all roles will be available to staff across all three locations, except in a very small number of cases where a specific business requirement has been identified. The FCDO has been consulting with trade unions throughout the restructure process and will continue to do so.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he has made an estimate of the total output of Torness nuclear power station over the last year and what proportion of Scottish generation this represents.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department made an assessment of the impact of zonal pricing of electricity on inward investment into Scottish low carbon electricity.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many days in the last year the electricity grid in Scotland was supplied with electricity generated elsewhere in the UK.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what representations he has received from the Scottish Government on the issue of zonal pricing for electricity.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

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 help improve (a) response times to (i) queries and (ii) complaints and (b) other communication between the Child Maintenance Service and service users.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

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 reduce waiting times for Access to Work (a) assessments and (b) decisions.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was between approval of an Access to Work application and support being put in place in 2025.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

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 effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme in supporting disabled people to (a) enter and (b) remain in employment.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Found: Labour; Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) Peter Prinsley (Labour; Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket) Joani Reid

Found: Labour; Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) Peter Prinsley (Labour; Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket) Joani Reid

Found: Labour; Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) Peter Prinsley (Labour; Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket) Joani Reid

Found: Peter Prinsley (Labour, Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket) (added 27 Oct 2025) 15 of 16 (93.8%) Joani Reid

Found: They are doing a piece about grooming gangs and will have Joani Reid MP on who will say that SG is “

Found: We will hear from Joani Reid MP, who has called for an audit of group-based CSE in Scotland, similar