Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data his Department holds on average waiting times for (a) cases to be assigned and (b) decisions by the Pensions Ombudsman.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department does not centrally publish formal averages for case allocation or final decisions by the Pensions Ombudsman (TPO). However, TPO’s latest performance updates indicate that waiting times remain significant due to sustained demand. Recent data shows cases can wait around 15 months to be allocated at assessment stage and up to 18 months for adjudication in more complex cases.
For all closures delivered in 2025/26 the average length of time from case creation to closure was 8 months.
The Department is working closely with TPO, including providing additional funding and supporting its Operating Model Review programme, to improve efficiency and reduce waiting times.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his department has made of the American '988' Suicide and Crisis Lifeline model, and whether there are plans to develop a similarly integrated crisis line here.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Operating Model Review in reducing waiting times at The Pensions Ombudsman over the past year.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Pensions Ombudsman’s (TPO) Operating Model Review (OMR) has delivered record case closures in both 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Key changes introduced through the OMR include ensuring that individuals complete the formal complaints process with their pension provider before approaching TPO; introducing expedited decision-making that closes cases with clear outcomes earlier in the process, reducing waiting times in these cases by as much as 18 months; and adopting a lead case approach where a structural issue with a pension scheme affects multiple members.
By continuing to implement operational innovations and utilising new resource from DWP, TPO will sustain its efforts to reduce case waiting times, which I recognise remain too long.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the withdrawal of previously granted Enterprise Investment Scheme relief on investor confidence.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
This Government is focused on making the UK the best place to start and scale a business. That’s why at Budget 2025 we announced the doubling of investment limits and gross asset thresholds for the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trust Schemes and expanded eligibility for the Enterprise Management Incentive Scheme.
In respect of EIS, HMRC applies the legislation to the facts of each case, including after and investment is made.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to introduce retrospective funding for schools that met special educational needs support costs during periods when Education, Health and Care Plan assessments were delayed by local authorities beyond the statutory deadline.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Mainstream schools are currently expected to meet the costs of supporting their pupils with special educational needs (SEN), up to £6,000 per pupil per annum. When the costs of additional support required for a pupil with SEN exceed that £6,000 threshold, the local authority should allocate additional top-up funding to cover the excess costs. This funding comes from the authority’s high needs budget. This may follow a statutory assessment producing an education, health and care (EHC) plan, though local authorities have the discretion to provide high needs funding to schools for pupils without an EHC plan, including those whose EHC needs assessment has been delayed.
Following the publication of the Schools White Paper, we are consulting on a range of reforms to enable mainstream schools to be inclusive of children with SEN, and are providing £4 billion over the next three years to prioritise early intervention and drive forward the reforms.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the additional revenue raised through the application of VAT to independent school fees has been allocated to addressing funding gaps in maintained schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Ending the tax breaks previously enjoyed by private schools raises essential revenue that will be invested in our public services, such as the £1.7 billion increase to core school funding in 2026/27, meaning an increased total of £67 billion, compared to £65.3 billion in 2025/26.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the number of people subject to the loan charge who will have their cases settled following the independent review of the loan charge.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government accepted all but one of the independent review’s recommendations and in some cases we are going further. We are legislating a generous new settlement opportunity that will help those who have not yet settled to do so.
Most individuals could see reductions of at least 50% in their outstanding loan charge liabilities, and an estimated 30% of individuals could have these liabilities written off entirely.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the consistency of the implementation of anti-bullying guidance in schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Tackling and preventing bullying in schools is essential to ensure that schools can provide calm and inclusive learning environments. All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their environment and are held to account by Ofsted.
Ofsted’s renewed education inspection framework, which has been in use from November 2025, evaluates a school’s approach to bullying during school inspections. This is considered through the lens of the attendance and behaviour evaluation area but is also considered as part of the personal development and wellbeing and safeguarding evaluation areas.
To support schools, the department has procured for the development of a bespoke evidence-based toolkit for teachers which will guide them through approaches to tackling misbehaviour and bullying and actions to focus on prevention.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Department plans to make anti-bullying training mandatory for school staff.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Tackling and preventing bullying in schools is essential to ensure that schools can provide calm and inclusive learning environments. All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their environment and are held to account by Ofsted.
Ofsted’s renewed education inspection framework, which has been in use from November 2025, evaluates a school’s approach to bullying during school inspections. This is considered through the lens of the attendance and behaviour evaluation area but is also considered as part of the personal development and wellbeing and safeguarding evaluation areas.
To support schools, the department has procured for the development of a bespoke evidence-based toolkit for teachers which will guide them through approaches to tackling misbehaviour and bullying and actions to focus on prevention.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to update guidance on handling complaints in children's social care.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Departmental officials will be meeting with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to better understand issues with the complaints process, but at present we are not planning to update the complaints guidance. We will, however, publish updated statutory guidance on advocacy services for children, who are making complaints, this year.