Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to (a) support the development of battery-electrified trains and (b) ensure that those trains are made using British critical minerals.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is supporting the development of battery-electric trains as they are an integral part of the plan to decarbonise the railway network by 2050. This includes innovative projects such as the Greenford fast-charge battery train trial, a recent battery trial on a TransPennine Express unit, as well as the full deployment of multi-mode trains with batteries by Transport for Wales and Merseyrail. We are progressing work on a whole systems approach to decarbonisation, ensuring both track and train are considered.

The Government published a Critical Minerals Strategy in 2022, which sets out its approach for ensuring the secure supply of critical minerals for key technologies including batteries.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that people with care needs can continue to pay for carers following changes to eligibility for Personal Independence Payments.

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

We have committed to introduce a new requirement that, in addition to the existing eligibility criteria, claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment. Our intention is that – subject to parliamentary approval – the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026.

The changes will focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs, ensuring those who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them, still get support.

Through the Green Paper we are consulting on the support needed for those who may lose any entitlements as a result of receiving PIP daily living and what this support could look like.

We will also work closely with the DHSC and others on how the health and eligible care needs of those who would lose entitlement to PIP could be met outside the benefits system. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has regular discussions with Cabinet members, including in relation to benefit reform.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what fiscal measures her Department has considered to help facilitate the renovation of existing residential sites.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is committed to supporting estate regeneration schemes to transform neighbourhoods by delivering well designed housing and public space, a better quality of life and new opportunities for tenants.

As of June 2023, grant funding provided through the government’s Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 can be used to fund replacement homes alongside new affordable homes, as part of wider estate regeneration plans.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the cost effectiveness of the outsourcing the (a) assessment and (b) administration of welfare.

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

We do not outsource the assessment or administration of social security in any wholesale manner, although some elements of these services are outsourced to third parties.

Where these services have been outsourced, each arrangement is subject to individual scrutiny both at the planning and commissioning stages, where a number of steps are conducted:

• A Delivery Model Assessment (also known as a Make vs Buy assessment) to understand whether outsourcing is cost effective and able to offer value for money in the first instance;
• A Should Cost Model to enable us to understand what the potential costs of the services are, where this can be compared to an insourced model and used as a benchmark for any bids received, and;
• An assessment as part of the commercial process to ensure that bids are cost effective and offer value for money.

When we do decide to outsource, at the end of the commercial process a contract will be executed, which will capture the key requirements for provision of the service and the service levels expected of the provider to enable the anticipated value for money to be delivered. This will be managed closely by contract management practitioners accredited to, or studying towards accreditation, at Expert or Practitioner level (depending on the complexity of the contract) of the Contract Management Capability Programme managed by Cabinet Office. This enables and ensures that the department realises the best value for money possible from the third party services and the optimum cost effectiveness.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that veterans who participated in lawful military operations during the Northern Ireland Troubles are treated fairly in relation to investigations or judicial proceedings; and if he will increase (a) legal protections and (b) welfare support for those veterans.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Government recognises the important service of Armed Forces personnel and the sacrifices they made to keep us all safe in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. We are exploring measures to ensure that the legacy of the past is addressed sensitively, efficiently, and lawfully, including with veterans’ groups. When a veteran faces judicial proceedings in relation to their duties, we offer, at public expense, legal support and representation as appropriate. Veterans are also offered welfare support tailored to their individual needs and circumstances.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on issuing payments under the LGBT Veterans Financial Recognition Scheme.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme launched on 13 December 2024. As of 31 March 2025, 917 applications had been received. Fighting With Pride, the Royal British Legion and Veterans UK are providing ongoing support to veterans with their applications.

The process of gathering evidence and records for the creation of casefiles is underway for these applications. This is the largest part of the process as this requires the collation of information from a variety of sources, including historical records.

Terminally ill veterans are being prioritised and we expect payments to begin for these veterans by the end of April 2025.

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 merits of providing free covid vaccinations to unpaid carers.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - 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 severe illness, involving hospitalisation and/or death, arising from COVID-19.

The JCVI’s advice for autumn 2024 noted that in the era of high population immunity to COVID-19, and with all cases due to highly transmissible omicron sub-variants, any protection offered by the vaccine against the transmission of infection from one person to another was expected to be extremely limited. On this basis, the JCVI did not advise offering vaccination to unpaid carers. The Government accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2024, with both the advice and the Government’s response available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-accepts-advice-on-2024-autumn-covid-vaccine-programme

On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme covering vaccination in 2025 and spring 2026. In line with its advice for the autumn 2024 campaign, the JCVI does not advise COVID-19 vaccination for unpaid carers. This advice is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026#:~:text=the%20JCVI%20webpage.-,Advice%20on%20vaccination%20in%20spring%202025,care%20home%20for%20older%20adults

The Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice on eligibility for the spring 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme. The Government is considering the advice for autumn 2025 and spring 2026 carefully, and will respond in due course.

Found: Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat; Esher and Walton) Noah Law

Found: Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat; Esher and Walton) Noah Law

Found: Noah Law: Yes, on the risk of displacement.

Found: Noah Law: Yes, on the risk of displacement.

To loosen the rules so we can get what we need to keep our streets safe and go back weekly or bi weekly collections as once a month is ludicrous when we all pay 2,000/3,000 pounds a year in tax for them to do stuff

Found: the issue when requesting more containers of any sort they do not budge and refuse the local mp Noah law

Submit Evidence (by 16 May 2025)

Energy lies at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Yet, the international community remains largely off track in meeting these commitments. According to the International Energy Agency, around 750 million people lack access to electricity, and more than 2 billion people lack access to clean cooking fuels, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa.