Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications were made under match funding arrangements to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund for (a) specialist assessments and (b) therapeutic support in each financial year since 2015; and what the (i) total and (ii) average value was of those applications.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The attached table provides the information requested.

Please note that the fair access limit (FAL) and match funding arrangements were introduced in October 2016. The separate FAL for specialist assessments was introduced in April 2017. However, match funding records were not captured by the department’s systems until July 2018. Because of this, prior data on match funding has been excluded.

Applications may cover funding for more than one child. Hence, average values may not align with the FAL for individual children. In addition, some applications which include match funding also fund continuation of therapy where a previous application has been submitted at below the FAL level, but then a small amount is required to top-up the therapy provided. These small top-up applications are match funded, but small in value, and therefore fall below the £5,000 average. This will also affect the average costs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications were made under the fair access limit to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund in each financial year since 2015; and what the (a) total and (b) average value was of those applications.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The attached table provides the information requested.

Please note that the fair access limit (FAL) and match funding arrangements were introduced in October 2016. The separate FAL for specialist assessments was introduced in April 2017. However, match funding records were not captured by the department’s systems until July 2018. Because of this, prior data on match funding has been excluded.

Applications may cover funding for more than one child. Hence, average values may not align with the FAL for individual children. In addition, some applications which include match funding also fund continuation of therapy where a previous application has been submitted at below the FAL level, but then a small amount is required to top-up the therapy provided. These small top-up applications are match funded, but small in value, and therefore fall below the £5,000 average. This will also affect the average costs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on its contract with Mott Macdonald to administer the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund in each year since 2018.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The table below shows the requested information on spending each year on Mott MacDonald for their administration of the adoption and special guardianship support fund.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking help reduce waiting times for support services for survivors of sexual abuse.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

This Government has pledged to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade.

We recognise the invaluable role support services play in the delivery of this mission. This is why the Ministry of Justice provides funding that ensures victims of sexual abuse can access the support they need.

This includes funding for the Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to commission local support services for victims of all crime, including sexual abuse, based on their assessment of local need, as well as grants for specialist support organisations through the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund. Furthermore, the MOJ-commissioned 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, delivered by Rape Crisis England and Wales, provides victims and survivors 24/7 access to vital help and information, including whilst waiting for longer term support.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) firearm and (a) shotgun certificates have been issued to people who had previously faced allegations of domestic abuse.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Firearms Act 1968 gives responsibility for the issuing of firearms certificates to Chief Officers of Police.

The Statutory Guidance to Chief Officers of Police on firearms licensing, issued by the Secretary of State, makes it clear that any allegations of domestic abuse concerning a firearms certificate applicant must be taken extremely seriously. Any evidence of domestic abuse will mean that the application is usually refused, or the existing certificate revoked.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of local community representation on tourist economy advisory boards.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS recognises the importance of local communities and their representatives in shaping a thriving, sustainable visitor economy and the need for their voices to be reflected in local and national decision-making.

The government expects local authorities and tourist boards to engage a broad range of stakeholders (including residents, businesses, and cultural institutions) when developing tourism strategies. This principle of broad representation is embedded in the accreditation criteria for Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs), which are designed to support more coordinated, inclusive and resilient tourism leadership across England.

DCMS recently established the Visitor Economy Advisory Council to bring together industry leaders, regional voices and expert advisers to inform policy and ensure that the sector's growth is inclusive and sustainable. DCMS’ upcoming Growth Strategy for the visitor economy will consider how best to support the sector’s development, including the role of LVEPs - ensuring a coordinated approach to driving growth across destinations and sectors.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will consider setting up a national community-led tourism network to work with local visitor economy partnerships.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS recognises the importance of local communities and their representatives in shaping a thriving, sustainable visitor economy and the need for their voices to be reflected in local and national decision-making.

The government expects local authorities and tourist boards to engage a broad range of stakeholders (including residents, businesses, and cultural institutions) when developing tourism strategies. This principle of broad representation is embedded in the accreditation criteria for Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs), which are designed to support more coordinated, inclusive and resilient tourism leadership across England.

DCMS recently established the Visitor Economy Advisory Council to bring together industry leaders, regional voices and expert advisers to inform policy and ensure that the sector's growth is inclusive and sustainable. DCMS’ upcoming Growth Strategy for the visitor economy will consider how best to support the sector’s development, including the role of LVEPs - ensuring a coordinated approach to driving growth across destinations and sectors.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with directly elected Mayors on the devolution of powers for tourist levies.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS recognises the interest from local areas in exploring ways to support and sustain their visitor economies, including through the use of voluntary tourist levies.

Tourist levies organised by Accommodation Business Improvement Districts, such as those piloted in Manchester and being explored in other parts of the country, are locally driven initiatives that enable participating businesses to pool resources to fund tourism-related services and improvements. While these schemes are still relatively new, DCMS is monitoring their development and engaging with stakeholders to understand their impact.

DCMS has had a range of discussions with local leaders, including directly elected Mayors, about the tools available to support tourism. While the introduction of statutory tourist levies would be a matter for wider cross-government consideration, DCMS is continuing to engage with local authorities and Combined Authorities to understand their ambitions and ensure the sector remains sustainable and competitive.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of voluntary tourist levies organised by Accommodation Business Improvement Districts.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS recognises the interest from local areas in exploring ways to support and sustain their visitor economies, including through the use of voluntary tourist levies.

Tourist levies organised by Accommodation Business Improvement Districts, such as those piloted in Manchester and being explored in other parts of the country, are locally driven initiatives that enable participating businesses to pool resources to fund tourism-related services and improvements. While these schemes are still relatively new, DCMS is monitoring their development and engaging with stakeholders to understand their impact.

DCMS has had a range of discussions with local leaders, including directly elected Mayors, about the tools available to support tourism. While the introduction of statutory tourist levies would be a matter for wider cross-government consideration, DCMS is continuing to engage with local authorities and Combined Authorities to understand their ambitions and ensure the sector remains sustainable and competitive.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) firearms and (b) shotgun certificate (i) applications and (ii) renewals were completed in (A) York and (B) North Yorkshire in the latest 12 month period for which data is available.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects and publishes information annually on the number of firearms and shotgun certificates that have been granted, refused or revoked by police forces in the Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates publication. The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2024 and can be accessed at the following link:

Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates: April 2023 to March 2024 - GOV. UK (www.gov.uk).

The number of firearms and shotgun certificate applications and renewal applications that were completed (either granted or refused), and the number of firearm and shotgun certificates that were revoked in the Yorkshire and the Humber region in the 12 months to March 2024 can be found in data tables 2 and 4.

Within the Yorkshire and Humber region, data are available for Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

Data for the year ending 31 March 2025 will be released between June and July 2025: Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2024 to March 2025 - Accredited official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) firearms and (b) shotgun certificate certificates were revoked in (i) York and (ii) North Yorkshire in the latest 12 month period for which data is available.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects and publishes information annually on the number of firearms and shotgun certificates that have been granted, refused or revoked by police forces in the Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates publication. The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2024 and can be accessed at the following link:

Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates: April 2023 to March 2024 - GOV. UK (www.gov.uk).

The number of firearms and shotgun certificate applications and renewal applications that were completed (either granted or refused), and the number of firearm and shotgun certificates that were revoked in the Yorkshire and the Humber region in the 12 months to March 2024 can be found in data tables 2 and 4.

Within the Yorkshire and Humber region, data are available for Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

Data for the year ending 31 March 2025 will be released between June and July 2025: Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2024 to March 2025 - Accredited official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people (a) made an application for Pension Credit and (b) were new claimants of Pension Credit in each of the last 24 months.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 27 February 2025 we published Pension Credit applications and award statistics. This publication provides application volumes up to 23 February 2025 Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK The next update of the Pension Credit applications and awards data is due to be published on 29 May 2025.

All applications received are treated as new claims. Therefore, we do not hold information on details of previous claims applicants may have submitted.

Please note, the figures presented are from DWP’s Pension Credit system which has previously been collected for internal departmental operations use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics publication standards.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people in receipt of the Personal Independence Payment standard daily living component were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities in the most recent period for which data is available.

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

The proportion of people in receipt of Personal Independence Payment with the Standard Daily Living component who were awarded fewer than four points in all daily living activities is readily available as part of the Pathways to Work Evidence Pack in Chapter 2, table 2.20.

(https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper).

Table 2.20 shows that, in January 2025, 87% of working aged claimants in England and Wales who were in receipt of the standard daily living component scored less than four points in all daily living activities and 13% of those claiming the enhanced rate.

After taking account of behavioural changes, OBR predicts that 370,000 people who will be receiving PIP at the point of implementation of the four point requirement in November 2026, will have lost their PIP Daily Living entitlement by 2029/30. Of all PIP recipients at the point of implementation, 9 in 10 will not lose PIP during the subsequent 3 years from this change.

Notes:

• There will be no immediate changes. Changes to PIP eligibility and rebalancing of UC aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from April 2026 for UC and November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval.
• PIP changes will only apply at the next award review after November 2026. The average award review period is about three years. At the award review, claimants will be seen by a trained assessor or healthcare professional and assessed on individual needs and circumstances.
• We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions, and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result.
• We also intend to launch a wider review of the PIP assessment which I will lead, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many complaints were (a) received and (b) upheld against Mott MacDonald in its role administering the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has received no complaints regarding Mott MacDonald’s administration of the adoption and special guardianship support fund.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential impact of changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on the ability of local authorities to (a) carry out their statutory duty to maintain appropriate service for adoption support under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 and (b) assess adoption support needs when requested under Adoption Support Services Regulations 2005.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues over a range of important matters.

Local authorities exercise their statutory duty to children previously in care and adopted children through regional adoption agencies (RAAs).

The department has recently announced funding of £8.8 million for Adoption England to improve adoption services, including adoption support. This includes supporting RAAs to provide an early support core offer for all families in the first 12 to 18 months after an adoption placement, as well as providing families with a new adoption support plan to give them information and guidance, including how they can access help.

Adoption England will be supporting RAAs to develop and make sustainable Centres of Excellence with local health partners, so families receive holistic assessment and packages of support.

They will also be supporting RAAs to put in place services that can respond quickly and more effectively to adoptive families in crisis. Currently, RAAs and local authorities can back-date applications to cover costs of therapies which begin in this financial year, even before the application is approved. This allows continuation of support for the most vulnerable families.

Adoptive families can also receive help from local authority Family Help services. The government is doubling investment in these services to over £500 million in the 2025/26 financial year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the risk of adoption and special guardianship disruption as a result of the delay in funding for therapeutic support via the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues over a range of important matters.

Local authorities exercise their statutory duty to children previously in care and adopted children through regional adoption agencies (RAAs).

The department has recently announced funding of £8.8 million for Adoption England to improve adoption services, including adoption support. This includes supporting RAAs to provide an early support core offer for all families in the first 12 to 18 months after an adoption placement, as well as providing families with a new adoption support plan to give them information and guidance, including how they can access help.

Adoption England will be supporting RAAs to develop and make sustainable Centres of Excellence with local health partners, so families receive holistic assessment and packages of support.

They will also be supporting RAAs to put in place services that can respond quickly and more effectively to adoptive families in crisis. Currently, RAAs and local authorities can back-date applications to cover costs of therapies which begin in this financial year, even before the application is approved. This allows continuation of support for the most vulnerable families.

Adoptive families can also receive help from local authority Family Help services. The government is doubling investment in these services to over £500 million in the 2025/26 financial year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund are on hold as a result of the delay caused in announcing the funding for the current financial year.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Since the pause on accepting applications to the adoption and special guardianship support fund ended on 14 April, there are no applications on hold. Many of the applications received for funding which started in the previous financial year have continued into this year, and applications for this financial year are now being processed and approved.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the (a) English Football League and (b) Premier League on the potential impact of the new deal financial package on grassroots football.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Ministers continue to discuss a distributions deal with the Premier League and EFL on a regular basis, with a clear expectation that any agreement should provide meaningful support across the football pyramid, including grassroots football. While the Football Governance Bill includes a backstop power for the independent regulator to intervene if a deal cannot be reached, this would only apply to distributions between the leagues. As such, Ministers continue to emphasise the importance of a voluntary agreement that delivers broader benefits, including investment in grassroots facilities and programmes.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the (a) English Football League and (b) National League on equal opportunity for promotions to the football league for non-league clubs.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

We recognise the strength of feeling within the National League regarding promotion arrangements to the EFL and understand the desire for greater opportunities for clubs to progress through the football pyramid. The competitiveness and sustainability of the league system are important considerations, and we appreciate the views of all stakeholders on this issue.

While promotion and relegation structures are ultimately a matter for the leagues themselves, we remain engaged with the football authorities on broader discussions about the future of the game.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will assess the potential impact of changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on the number of applications received to that fund; and if she will publish that assessment.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department expects the number of applications to the adoption and special guardianship support fund to continue to increase, in line with previous years. The changes we introduced were designed to maximise the number of children who can get support in this year. Application numbers are collected and assessed on a weekly basis as part of routine management reporting.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2025 to Question 42565 on Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of the time taken to confirm funding for the 2025-26 financial year on the number of applications to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund that were not carried forward by adoption agencies.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The number of applications returned for re-work after the announcement was 727. This allowed changes to be made to align with the grant criteria where necessary and also allowed confirmation that the local authority or regional adoption agency still wished to submit the application.

Applications are now being assessed and approved within the usual timeframes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the value for money of the Defence Fire and Risk Project.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

A comprehensive review of the contract was undertaken in autumn 2023 in accordance with Cabinet Office requirements, which found that as a whole, the Defence Fire and Risk Project contract represented satisfactory Value for Money. No further assessment has yet been made by this government.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people in receipt of the Personal Independence Payment enhanced daily living component were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities in the most recent period for which data is available.

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

Data on the number and proportion of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants with an enhanced daily living component who scored less than four points can be found in table 1 below.

The number of people currently on PIP who did not score 4 points in one category in their last assessment should not be equated with the number who are likely to lose PIP in future. It’s important to make a clear distinction between the two, not least because we don’t want constituents to be unnecessarily fearful about their situation, when we understand many are already anxious. Someone who did not score 4 points in an activity in a previous assessment may well score 4 points in a future assessment as conditions change over time.

After taking account of behavioural changes, the OBR predicts that 9 in 10 of those on PIP daily living at the point any changes come in will still be receiving PIP by the end of the decade.

There will be no immediate changes to PIP eligibility. Our intention is that changes will start to come into effect from November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval.

After that date, no one will lose PIP without first being reassessed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional, who assesses individual needs and circumstance. Reassessments happen on average every 3 years.

We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including ensuring health and care needs are met.

We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment to make it fair and fit for purpose, which I will lead. We are bringing together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this. We will provide further details as plans progress.

Even with these reforms, the overall number of people on PIP and DLA is expected to rise by 750,000 by the end of this parliament and spending will rise from £23bn in 24/25 to £31bn in 29/30.

Table 1: volume and percentage of PIP claimants receiving an enhanced daily living award, who scored less than four points in all daily living activities

Source(s): PIP Administrative Data

Notes:

• Figures are for England and Wales only.
• Figures are for January 2025 caseload.
• Figures only include New Claims.
• Figures include normal claims and exclude claims under Special Rules for End of Life (SREL).
• Figures are for working aged claimants only.
• Figures have been rounded to the nearest 1000.
• Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her plans are for future funding arrangements for British Transport Police (a) during and (b) after the transition to Great British Railways.

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

The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set currently set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry.

We anticipate that the level of funding for the BTP during the transition to and commencement of Great British Railways will similarly balance the needs of the industry and the force against public sector affordability.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) applications and (b) approvals there were under the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund in each financial year since 2015; and what the realised spend was in each financial year.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The data requested can be found in the attached spreadsheet.

The similarity in the figures between applications and approvals is down to the work Mott MacDonald, the department’s delivery partner, does with the applicants. If an application is questionable, rather than being rejected, it is returned for amendments and dialogue with the relevant local authority or regional adoption agency (RAA) takes place to bring the application into criteria. On some occasions, applications are withdrawn by the local authority or RAA.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people in receipt of the Personal Independence Payment standard daily living component were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities in (a) York Central constituency, (b) City of York Local Authority area and (c) York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority area, in the most recent period for which data is available.

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

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab), including an Evidence Pack which contains the maximum points scored on any Daily Living activity by Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants, broken down by Parliamentary Constituency and Local Authority. For York Central constituency, 42% of people scored fewer than 4 points at last assessment.

As the information is not published in the way you have requested, information on the volume and proportion of PIP claimants who received a standard Daily Living award rate and scored less than four points in all daily living activities, by different geographical breakdowns can be found in Table 1 below. This should not be equated with the number who are likely to lose PIP. It’s important to make a clear distinction between the two, not least because we don’t want constituents to be unnecessarily fearful about their situation, when we understand many are already anxious. We are clear that we will always protect the most vulnerable.

No one will lose access to PIP immediately. The changes, subject to parliamentary approval, would be brought in from November 2026. After that date, no one will lose PIP without first being reassessed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional, who assesses individual needs and circumstance. Reassessments happen on average every 3 years. Someone who didn’t score 4 points in an activity in a previous assessment may well score 4 points in a future assessment – not least as many conditions tend to get worse, not better, over time.

After taking account of behavioural changes, the OBR predicts 9 in 10 people who claim PIP in November 2026 will still receive it by the end of Parliament. If the OBR’s behavioural assumptions for England and Wales were applicable to York and North Yorkshire, around one-fifth of current claimants shown in table 1 would no longer receive their daily living component following review.

We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions, and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result.

We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment, to make it fair and fit for purpose, which I will lead. We are bringing together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to to this. We will provide further details as plans progess.

Even with these reforms, the overall number of people on PIP and DLA is expected to rise by 750,000 by the end of this parliament and spending will rise from £23bn in 24/25 to £31bn in 29/30.

Table 1: volume and percentage of PIP claimants who are in receipt of the standard daily living award rate and scored less than four points in all daily living activities by different geographical breakdowns

Notes:

• Data is for January 2025 caseload.
• Volumes are rounded to the nearest 100.
• Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole percentage.
• Data includes working aged claimants only.
• Data includes normal rules claimants only, and excludes special rules for end of life (SREL) claimants as they typically receive maximum or very high scores.
• Claimants with missing point scores have been excluded from the data.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of existing levels of funding for the British Transport Police.

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

The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. Set against a backdrop of wider public sector efficiencies and affordability by the rail industry it has agreed a budget increase for the financial year 2025/26 of 5.9%. BTP work closely with BTPA and industry operators to make final resourcing decisions with their agreed budget.

The cost of policing the rail network in Great Britain is primarily covered through the funding agreements that the British Transport Police Authority holds with Network Rail, the rail operators and Transport for London.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people in receipt of the Personal Independence Payment enhanced daily living component were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities in (a) York Central constituency, (b) City of York Local Authority area and (c) York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority area in the most recent period for which data is available.

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

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab), including an Evidence Pack which contains the maximum points scored on any Daily Living activity by Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants, broken down by Parliamentary Constituency and Local Authority. For York Central constituency, 42% of people scored fewer than 4 points at last assessment.

As the information is not published in the way you have requested, information on the volume and proportion of PIP claimants who received a standard Daily Living award rate and scored less than four points in all daily living activities, by different geographical breakdowns can be found in Table 1 below. This should not be equated with the number who are likely to lose PIP. It’s important to make a clear distinction between the two, not least because we don’t want constituents to be unnecessarily fearful about their situation, when we understand many are already anxious.

No one will lose access to PIP immediately. The changes, subject to parliamentary approval, would be brought in from November 2026. After that date, no one will lose PIP without first being reassessed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional, who assesses individual needs and circumstance. Reassessments happen on average every 3 years. Someone who didn’t score 4 points in an activity in a previous assessment may well score 4 points in a future assessment – not least as many conditions tend to get worse, not better, over time.

After taking account of behavioural changes, OBR predicts that 370,000 people who will be receiving PIP at the point of implementation of the four point requirement in November 2026, will have lost their PIP Daily Living entitlement by 2029/30. Of all PIP recipients at the point of implementation, 9 in 10 will not lose PIP during the subsequent 3 years from this change. If the OBR’s behavioural assumptions for England and Wales were applicable to York and North Yorkshire, around one-fifth of current claimants shown in table 1 would no longer receive their daily living component following review.

We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions, and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result.

We also intend to launch a wider review of the PIP assessment which I will lead, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.

Even with these reforms, the overall number of people on PIP and DLA is expected to rise by 750,000 by the end of this parliament and spending will rise from £23bn in 24/25 to £31bn in 29/30.

Table 1: volume and percentage of PIP claimants who are in receipt of the daily living award rate and scored less than four points in all daily living activities by different geographical breakdowns

Notes:

• Data is for January 2025 caseload.
• Volumes are rounded to the nearest 100.
• Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole percentage.
• Data includes working aged claimants only.
• Data includes normal rules claimants only, and excludes special rules for end of life (SREL) claimants as they typically receive maximum or very high scores.
• Claimants with missing point scores have been excluded from the data.

Reductions to CrossCountry trains catering services

UK Government recognition of the state of Palestine

Israel’s interception of the British-flagged Madleen boat

National Carers Week 2025 and the Women in the North report

Climate Finance Fund (Fossil Fuels and Pollution) Bill

Universities and international students

Cross-Channel train services for Kent and London

Blunt Knives campaign and knife crime awareness

Support for the trans community

International Nurses Day 2025

Future of the UK baking industry

Court transcript costs

Restructure of local government debt

Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for Police Community Support Officers

Gaza occupation proposals

Deaf Awareness Week 2025

National Operating Department Practitioner Day

Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia

Mental Health Awareness Week 2025

Imprisonment of Dr Wang Bingzhang in China

Safe sleep standards in early years settings

Blockade of aid to Gaza

Dementia Action Week 2025

Nature-Friendly Farming Week

Recognising Action for Brain Injury Week 2025

Real Living Wage Campaign

Impact of No Recourse to Public Funds on child poverty

Humanitarian aid into Gaza

Shrill carder bee

Women in Transport's 20th anniversary

World Bee Day (No. 2)

Cardiovascular disease prevention

World IBD Day 2025

Fairtrade tea campaign

World Bee Day

Digital-only immigration status

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Afrikan Reparations report

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia

UK aid for global forests and indigenous peoples

Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Import of goods from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Negotiating rights for police officers

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on how to provide long term, sustainable funding for transforming palliative and end of life care services.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In February, I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format, with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.

I also recently met Rachael Maskell MP and Baroness Finlay to discuss the progress of their independent commission into palliative and end of life care.

As part of the work to develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we will be carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.

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