Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether people who receive the Universal Credit (UC) health element and do not receive the Personal Independence Payment daily living component will lose their entitlement to the UC health element once the Work Capability Assessment is abolished.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Pathways to Work Green Paper announced that we would be scrapping the Work Capability Assessment and moving to a single assessment for financial support related to health and disability benefits.
The UC and PIP payment Bill currently before Parliament sets out that existing claimants will continue to receive additional financial support for health on Universal Credit health (the LCWRA addition), frozen at its current cash value, until 2029-30.
We are currently considering how the future system will operate and will provide further information, including on transitioning to a reformed system, in a White Paper in the autumn.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) telegraph poles and (b) other above-ground broadband infrastructure on (i) security and (ii) resilience; and whether his Department is taking steps to help mitigate potential risks.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Under the Communications Act 2003, as amended by the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021, public telecoms providers are required to identify and mitigate risks to the security and resilience of their networks and services. This includes risks to physical infrastructure, such as telegraph poles and other above-ground infrastructure. Ofcom monitors and enforces public telecoms providers’ compliance with their obligations in the Act.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what mechanisms are in place to (a) monitor and (b) enforce compliance with the Broadband Infrastructure Code of Practice; and how many breaches of that code have been recorded in the last 12 months.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As the independent regulator for telecommunications operators, Ofcom is able to take enforcement action and have stated that they would investigate any complaints from local planning authorities about telegraph poles sited in a way which is not consistent with the requirements and guidelines in place, including where they block residents’ drives or where operators systematically fail to engage with local planning authorities’ suggestions. Ofcom has opened two investigations in the past 12 months into whether specific operators have failed to comply with their obligations when installing apparatus. These can be found on Ofcom’s enforcement page here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/enforcement
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department provides support to local authorities to (a) challenge and (b) regulate the installation of telegraph poles where there is strong local opposition; and whether he plans to review the planning powers available to them.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Permitted development rights enable telegraph poles to be deployed without case-by-case approval from the local planning authority. However, local authorities can raise complaints with Ofcom where poles are not sited consistently with the requirements set out in the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 and the relevant guidelines, including the new best practice recommendations published by the industry’s Telecommunications Poles Working Group. My Department is monitoring the impact of this new guidance before considering taking any further steps. I have made it clear that disregarding the views of local communities is counterproductive for the industry and that we reserve the right to change regulations if there is continued significant non-compliance.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that telecoms providers engage transparently with local (a) communities and (b) authorities before installing telegraph poles for broadband infrastructure in (i) areas with no historical precedent for such infrastructure and (ii) other areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 include requirements for operators to share apparatus where practicable, to use underground lines where reasonably practicable and to minimise the impact on the visual amenity of properties as far as reasonably practicable.
In addition, following my call for operators to consider revising the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice, the industry’s Telecommunications Poles Working Group has published best practice recommendations setting out expectations that operators should explore existing sharing opportunities and minimise the visual impact of poles. It also includes guidance on how to enhance communication with the public.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what guidance his Department has issued to telecoms providers on (a) when they are required to use existing underground ducting before installing and (b) minimising the (i) visual and (ii) environmental impact of new telegraph poles.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 include requirements for operators to share apparatus where practicable, to use underground lines where reasonably practicable and to minimise the impact on the visual amenity of properties as far as reasonably practicable.
In addition, following my call for operators to consider revising the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice, the industry’s Telecommunications Poles Working Group has published best practice recommendations setting out expectations that operators should explore existing sharing opportunities and minimise the visual impact of poles. It also includes guidance on how to enhance communication with the public.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to extend the Serious Violence Reduction Orders pilot scheme; what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the scheme in Merseyside; and whether her Department has considered expanding the eligibility criteria to include people under the age of 18.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.
The final independent evaluation of the pilot will look to understand the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying. These insights will be critical in informing future decisions on whether the orders will be expanded or rolled out nationally.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made contribution of the part-time student premium to the Government's opportunity mission.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is determined to break down barriers to opportunity by supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university, regardless of their background, where they live and their personal circumstances. Part-time student premium funding allocated through the Strategic Priorities Grant, is an important part of delivering on this vision and our Opportunity Mission.
This funding is allocated to higher education providers in England which are on the Office for Students (OfS)’ Approved (fee cap) register, to support them to provide part-time courses for students. This recognises that the flexibility part-time courses offer is important, especially for older learners and those from underrepresented groups.
This is why my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s recent guidance to the OfS explicitly directs the OfS to retain the per-student funding rates for the student premiums, including the part-time student premium, where affordable. Funding allocations for individual higher education providers for the forthcoming academic year will be published by the OfS in due course.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when secondary legislation for the Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Act 2023 will be laid before Parliament.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to delivering the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) in the 2026/27 academic year for courses starting from 1 January 2027. We shall share further details and plans for LLE delivery alongside the multi-year spending review in June, including information on maintenance loans, supplementary grants, priority courses and additional entitlement, and information on the expansion and regulation of modular funding, together with the Office for Students. Parliamentary time allowing, the department plans to lay the secondary legislation necessary for the LLE, including that made under powers in the Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Act 2023 in 2026.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with Ofcom on stronger mechanisms for holding Royal Mail accountable for improving the reliability of letter deliveries.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It is for Ofcom to set and monitor Royal Mail’s service standards, and to decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action. While the government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions, in January I met with representatives from Ofcom who gave their reassurance that Ofcom is closely monitoring Royal Mail’s performance and its action plan to drive improvement in quality of service.
In December 2024, following its investigation of Royal Mail’s performance in the 2023-24 financial year, Ofcom fined the company £10.5m because of its failure to significantly improve service levels. The government expects that Ofcom will continue to closely monitor Royal Mail’s performance and take action where appropriate.