Neil Duncan-Jordan

The Cabinet Office awarded Capita the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme in November 2023 under the previous government. The current delays facing scheme members are entirely unacceptable, and this Government has taken firm action to resolve them through a clear recovery plan with strict delivery milestones. We have deployed additional resources to expedite priority cases, ensuring that serving and former staff receive the high standard of service they deserve. Regular progress updates remain available to members via the pension portal and Gov.uk.

Capita is under a firm mandate to restore full service delivery to standard contractual levels by the end of June 2026. We are actively exploring the use of all available commercial and contractual levers and continue to withhold milestone payments for missed transition deliverables. All options remain on the table if they fail to meet the June deadline.

Capita were initially instructed to prioritise and clear the most urgent cases such as Death in Service and Ill-Health during February and March. While Capita previously assured us that performance standards for Death in Service and Ill-Health were being met by mid-March, recent information continues to demonstrate unacceptable delays in some ill-health retirement and death-in-service cases. We have urgently escalated this to Capita, who are actively investigating the underlying data and reasons for these continued delays.

Around 25,000 members currently await pension quotations from Capita, including outstanding historical cases left unprocessed by the previous administrator. Whilst we have mandated that Capita restore service levels by the end of June 2026, putting accepted quotes into payment requires sequential administrative steps, meaning the first actual payments will commence around late August or September.

Capita has issued lump sum payments to 16,776 retired members awaiting their regular pensions, whilst the scheme continues to pay approximately 730,000 existing pensioners on time. To alleviate immediate hardship, employers have issued £14.2 million in Transitional Support Loans to 2,612 members, alongside interest-free bridging loans ranging from £5,000 to £20,000. Members will fully repay these bridging loans upon receipt of their formal pension payments.

The scheme will automatically pay interest on delayed benefits to protect members from financial loss. The statutory complaints process evaluates claims for financial loss, distress, and inconvenience on a case-by-case basis and is operated in strict accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.

We are unable to provide a breakdown of the number of people affected in the Poole constituency. Capita does not provide standard reporting on the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme on a geographical or constituency basis.

The Cabinet Office awarded Capita the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme in November 2023 under the previous government. The current delays facing scheme members are entirely unacceptable, and this Government has taken firm action to resolve them through a clear recovery plan with strict delivery milestones. We have deployed additional resources to expedite priority cases, ensuring that serving and former staff receive the high standard of service they deserve. Regular progress updates remain available to members via the pension portal and Gov.uk.

Capita is under a firm mandate to restore full service delivery to standard contractual levels by the end of June 2026. We are actively exploring the use of all available commercial and contractual levers and continue to withhold milestone payments for missed transition deliverables. All options remain on the table if they fail to meet the June deadline.

Capita were initially instructed to prioritise and clear the most urgent cases such as Death in Service and Ill-Health during February and March. While Capita previously assured us that performance standards for Death in Service and Ill-Health were being met by mid-March, recent information continues to demonstrate unacceptable delays in some ill-health retirement and death-in-service cases. We have urgently escalated this to Capita, who are actively investigating the underlying data and reasons for these continued delays.

Around 25,000 members currently await pension quotations from Capita, including outstanding historical cases left unprocessed by the previous administrator. Whilst we have mandated that Capita restore service levels by the end of June 2026, putting accepted quotes into payment requires sequential administrative steps, meaning the first actual payments will commence around late August or September.

Capita has issued lump sum payments to 16,776 retired members awaiting their regular pensions, whilst the scheme continues to pay approximately 730,000 existing pensioners on time. To alleviate immediate hardship, employers have issued £14.2 million in Transitional Support Loans to 2,612 members, alongside interest-free bridging loans ranging from £5,000 to £20,000. Members will fully repay these bridging loans upon receipt of their formal pension payments.

The scheme will automatically pay interest on delayed benefits to protect members from financial loss. The statutory complaints process evaluates claims for financial loss, distress, and inconvenience on a case-by-case basis and is operated in strict accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.

We are unable to provide a breakdown of the number of people affected in the Poole constituency. Capita does not provide standard reporting on the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme on a geographical or constituency basis.

The Cabinet Office awarded Capita the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme in November 2023 under the previous government. The current delays facing scheme members are entirely unacceptable, and this Government has taken firm action to resolve them through a clear recovery plan with strict delivery milestones. We have deployed additional resources to expedite priority cases, ensuring that serving and former staff receive the high standard of service they deserve. Regular progress updates remain available to members via the pension portal and Gov.uk.

Capita is under a firm mandate to restore full service delivery to standard contractual levels by the end of June 2026. We are actively exploring the use of all available commercial and contractual levers and continue to withhold milestone payments for missed transition deliverables. All options remain on the table if they fail to meet the June deadline.

Capita were initially instructed to prioritise and clear the most urgent cases such as Death in Service and Ill-Health during February and March. While Capita previously assured us that performance standards for Death in Service and Ill-Health were being met by mid-March, recent information continues to demonstrate unacceptable delays in some ill-health retirement and death-in-service cases. We have urgently escalated this to Capita, who are actively investigating the underlying data and reasons for these continued delays.

Around 25,000 members currently await pension quotations from Capita, including outstanding historical cases left unprocessed by the previous administrator. Whilst we have mandated that Capita restore service levels by the end of June 2026, putting accepted quotes into payment requires sequential administrative steps, meaning the first actual payments will commence around late August or September.

Capita has issued lump sum payments to 16,776 retired members awaiting their regular pensions, whilst the scheme continues to pay approximately 730,000 existing pensioners on time. To alleviate immediate hardship, employers have issued £14.2 million in Transitional Support Loans to 2,612 members, alongside interest-free bridging loans ranging from £5,000 to £20,000. Members will fully repay these bridging loans upon receipt of their formal pension payments.

The scheme will automatically pay interest on delayed benefits to protect members from financial loss. The statutory complaints process evaluates claims for financial loss, distress, and inconvenience on a case-by-case basis and is operated in strict accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.

We are unable to provide a breakdown of the number of people affected in the Poole constituency. Capita does not provide standard reporting on the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme on a geographical or constituency basis.

The UK’s uncodified constitution has evolved over time and is made up of conventions, statutes, judicial decisions, principles and practices. It is the Government’s view that one of the strengths of our constitution is its flexibility and ability to evolve in response to changing circumstances. The Government therefore has no plans to introduce a codified constitution.

The Government is determined to ensure the £400 billion of public money spent on public procurement annually delivers economic growth and supports British businesses.

The Procurement Act 2023 allows contracting authorities to require that suppliers meet specific standards by, where appropriate, setting them as conditions of participation in a procurement. Contracting authorities must be satisfied that any such conditions of participation have been met before awarding a public contract, including when a supplier proposes to meet them via a subcontractor. The Procurement Specific Questionnaire template, published on the Procurement Pathway, helps contracting authorities collect relevant subcontractor information.

The Public Procurement Review Service (PPRS) also helps to protect UK subcontractors working with government suppliers by providing a free, anonymous, and confidential way to report poor public sector procurement practices, including contract management issues and unfair, late payment issues.

The UK Government Supplier Code of Conduct v3.0 (published May 2023) outlines the ethical standards expected of suppliers working with the government. Although the Code is not legally enforceable, it encourages transparent dialogue where standards are not met and, in extreme unresolved cases, escalation to the Government Chief Commercial Officer.

We will set out further reforms to procurement rules, including the response to the recent public procurement consultation, in due course.

The Government is determined to ensure the £400 billion of public money spent on public procurement annually delivers economic growth and supports British businesses.

The Procurement Act 2023 allows contracting authorities to require that suppliers meet specific standards by, where appropriate, setting them as conditions of participation in a procurement. Contracting authorities must be satisfied that any such conditions of participation have been met before awarding a public contract, including when a supplier proposes to meet them via a subcontractor. The Procurement Specific Questionnaire template, published on the Procurement Pathway, helps contracting authorities collect relevant subcontractor information.

The Public Procurement Review Service (PPRS) also helps to protect UK subcontractors working with government suppliers by providing a free, anonymous, and confidential way to report poor public sector procurement practices, including contract management issues and unfair, late payment issues.

The UK Government Supplier Code of Conduct v3.0 (published May 2023) outlines the ethical standards expected of suppliers working with the government. Although the Code is not legally enforceable, it encourages transparent dialogue where standards are not met and, in extreme unresolved cases, escalation to the Government Chief Commercial Officer.

We will set out further reforms to procurement rules, including the response to the recent public procurement consultation, in due course.

The Government is determined to ensure the £400 billion of public money spent on public procurement annually delivers economic growth and supports British businesses.

The Procurement Act 2023 allows contracting authorities to require that suppliers meet specific standards by, where appropriate, setting them as conditions of participation in a procurement. Contracting authorities must be satisfied that any such conditions of participation have been met before awarding a public contract, including when a supplier proposes to meet them via a subcontractor. The Procurement Specific Questionnaire template, published on the Procurement Pathway, helps contracting authorities collect relevant subcontractor information.

The Public Procurement Review Service (PPRS) also helps to protect UK subcontractors working with government suppliers by providing a free, anonymous, and confidential way to report poor public sector procurement practices, including contract management issues and unfair, late payment issues.

The UK Government Supplier Code of Conduct v3.0 (published May 2023) outlines the ethical standards expected of suppliers working with the government. Although the Code is not legally enforceable, it encourages transparent dialogue where standards are not met and, in extreme unresolved cases, escalation to the Government Chief Commercial Officer.

We will set out further reforms to procurement rules, including the response to the recent public procurement consultation, in due course.

There are no plans to review the role and voting rights of the Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords.

The Government has set out an ambitious programme of House of Lords reform in its manifesto, including a commitment to replace the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber that is more representative of the regions and nations. The Government will consult on proposals for an alternative second chamber, seeking the input of the British public on how politics can best serve them.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of the 25th November is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of the 25th November is attached.

The Government has announced plans for a new national digital ID for all UK citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over, and we will consult on lowering the proposed minimum age to 13.

Extending the national digital credential scheme to include 13–16-year-olds could streamline administrative processes involved in employing young people. Inclusion of this age group could also support children’s online safety by supporting age verification for online services in line with the Online Safety Act 2023.

The Prime Minister plans to attend COP30.

I am grateful to Sir Brian Langstaff for his constructive Additional Report. We share his ambition to ensure that fair compensation is provided to every person that is eligible without delay.

On 21st July, I delivered an oral statement to the House confirming the Government’s approach to responding to the further report. You can find more information here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/infected-blood-inquiry-additional-report-oral-statement-to-parliament

In late October, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority began contacting the first group of people so that they could begin making their compensation claims. As of 12th December, 10 people have been offered compensation totalling over £13 million. The first few people have accepted their offers and the first payments have now been made. Between now and January, the Authority will reach out to more people so that they can begin making their compensation claims. The Authority is aiming to reach around 250 claims in early 2025 and continue ramping up payments from there. At the October Budget the Government committed £11.8 billion of funding for the compensation scheme. The individual payments build on the more than £1 billion which victims have received so far in interim payments.

The Government uses a range of channels to reach and engage the public. Any use of these platforms would be assessed against the high standards for digital safety set out in the Government Communication Service (GCS) SAFE framework. The four core principles of the framework are safety and sustainability, ads context, freedom of speech, and ethics and enforcement.

The Child Poverty Taskforce understands the importance of children’s health in tackling child poverty. In December, children's health will be discussed at the external experts meeting as part of strategy development for ensuring low-income families are able to access quality services to tackle the impacts of poverty.

This engagement is happening alongside a wider commitment for the Taskforce to involve families, charities, campaigners, and leading organisations across the UK to understand the multiple drivers and impacts of poverty. Recently Taskforce co-chairs, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Secretary of State for Education, visited a Barnado’s Family Centre in Brent to join a children’s session focused on healthy eating and heard how parents are struggling with the costs of essentials.

The Taskforce has set out their broader engagement strategy in their latest publication titled ‘Tackling Child Poverty: Developing Our Strategy’. This engagement is in addition to the large existing evidence base on child poverty in the UK and internationally, which the Taskforce is building understanding from.

Individual medical professionals as well as organisations are also welcome to submit specific evidence to [email protected]. We will set out details on the publication of the Strategy in due course.

We will work to reset the relationship with our European friends to strengthen ties, secure a broad-based security pact and tackle barriers to trade.

We have no plans for an EU-wide youth mobility scheme and there will be no return to freedom of movement.

All companies must file annual accounts in accordance with the Companies Act 2006. Directors are personally responsible for ensuring accounts are delivered on time.

Where accounts are filed late, Companies House automatically imposes statutory late filing penalties. For persistent or serious non-compliance, Companies House has a range of enforcement powers, including financial penalties and criminal prosecution. Enforcement decisions are taken in line with Companies House's published Enforcement Policy and a proportionate, risk-based compliance framework.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/companies-house-enforcement-policy

The steel strategy set out our aim for around 40-50% of domestic demand to be met by domestic production. In 2023, this figure was 40%. Our aim is therefore to return to that recent capability and stabilise domestic production.

The Steel Strategy creates a more competitive business landscape for steel making. It will attract new investment to the UK, continuing to grow our domestic capability and capacity.

UK producers manufacture a wide range of steel products. They also have under-utilised production capacity. Current demand and production levels were taken into account when setting quota sizes, and further information can be found on GOV.UK.

We will closely monitor implementation of the measure and review it after 12 months to ensure it remains effective and the balance is right for both producers and downstream users.

UK producers manufacture a wide range of steel products. They also have under-utilised production capacity. Current demand and production levels were taken into account when setting quota sizes, and further information can be found on GOV.UK.

We will closely monitor implementation of the measure and review it after 12 months to ensure it remains effective and the balance is right for both producers and downstream users.

UK producers manufacture a wide range of steel products. They also have under-utilised production capacity. Current demand and production levels were taken into account when setting quota sizes, and further information can be found on GOV.UK.

We will closely monitor implementation of the measure and review it after 12 months to ensure it remains effective and the balance is right for both producers and downstream users.

Around 2.4 million workers are expected to receive a pay rise due to the increase to the NLW on 1 April 2026. In total, around 2.7 million workers are expected to receive a pay rise due to increases to the NMW and NLW on April 2026.

The Government will publish an impact assessment alongside the legislation that implements the increases to the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates early next year. This will include a breakdown of the number of workers expected to benefit by region; however, constituency-level estimates will not be provided due to greater data reliability issues at this granularity.

There is fantastic support available to businesses across the UK, but we know many SMEs find it difficult to navigate the system. That is why we launched the Business Growth Service as part of the Small Business Plan, making it easier and quicker for businesses to get the help, support and advice they need to start, grow and succeed. It will be the nationally recognised brand for business support, with a single online access point at business.gov.uk, delivered in partnership with public bodies, devolved governments and the private sector.

The Government recognises the vital role that pubs, restaurants and other food outlets play in local communities and the economy, including in the Poole constituency.

In April, we launched a Taskforce to review premises licensing and develop a more balanced system that safeguards communities while supporting responsible businesses. These reforms form part of the Small Business Strategy, which is designed to tackle late payments, improve access to finance and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.

We are also creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. We continue to work closely with the sector through the Hospitality Sector Council to address challenges.

No recent assessment has been made of the potential impact of the domestic use of fireworks on children, adults with PTSD and pets. Building on the work of my predecessor, I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on fireworks-related issues and inform future action.

I launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign features guidance for those running events to reduce the impact on the community, and social media materials that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks, and the promotion of low noise fireworks.

Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. Local authorities and the police also have powers to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by the misuse of fireworks. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers.

I have launched a public campaign for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign includes social media materials with information on current legislation and the penalties for illegal use, as well as the risks from the misuse of fireworks.

Ministers and officials meet with Ofcom regularly to discuss a range of issues in relation to its role as the independent regulator for the postal sector.

Affordability is at the heart of Ofcom's regulatory framework. On 4 November, Ofcom published a call for input into its review of pricing and affordability of postal services, which closes on 5 December. Ofcom will consult on its approach ahead of the expiry of the current control on Second Class letter prices in early 2027.

The Government recognises the vital role that pubs, restaurants and other food outlets play in local communities and the economy, including in the Poole constituency.

In April, we launched a Taskforce to review premises licensing and develop a more balanced system that safeguards communities while supporting responsible businesses. These reforms form part of the Small Business Strategy, which is designed to tackle late payments, improve access to finance and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.

We are also creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. We continue to work closely with the sector through the Hospitality Sector Council to address challenges.

Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provides an independent means for investors to resolve disputes with states where they believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation. The UK is a significant capital exporter and ISDS provisions provide an independent means to resolve disputes with host governments.

The UK will continue to work with trading partners multilaterally, such as at the OECD and the UN, to pursue opportunities to improve ISDS practice.

Total FDI and portfolio investment assets and liabilities between the UK and Colombia were £6.8 billion at the end of 2023. The UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) includes binding investment protection provisions which protect both UK and Colombian investors against unfair and discriminatory treatment, and expropriation without adequate compensation.

These commitments do not remove a government’s right to regulate in the public interest, nor its obligations to comply with other commitments.

In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses, modern slavery, and environmental harms in global supply chains. The review will cover all sectors of the economy, including the tea trade.

We are aware of the findings of the 4 Day Week Foundation’s recent trial.

A four-day week is an example of a flexible working arrangement. Currently, all employees have the right to request a flexible working arrangement, and we are changing legislation through the Employment Rights Bill to make it more likely that requests are accepted.

We have no plans to mandate a four-day week, or any other working arrangement. Our priority is to consult with and support businesses and employees with the delivery of these planned changes, as part of the wider Plan to Make Work Pay.

We are aware of the findings of the 4 Day Week Foundation’s recent trial.

A four-day week is an example of a flexible working arrangement. Currently, all employees have the right to request a flexible working arrangement, and we are changing legislation through the Employment Rights Bill to make it more likely that requests are accepted.

We have no plans to mandate a four-day week, or any other working arrangement. Our priority is to consult with and support businesses and employees with the delivery of these planned changes, as part of the wider Plan to Make Work Pay.

RCV engines have in the past been issued licences for the export of controlled goods to Israel. The most recent licences issued were in 2021 and expired in 2023.