Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many and what percentage of new style Employment and Support Allowance applications were successful in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Initial Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Capability Assessment (WCA) by date of decision and ESA group allocation:

* Data is taken from Stat-Xplore. Volumes have been rounded to the nearest ten. Totals may not sum due to rounding and the disclosure control applied.

* The latest available data is for September 2025. Therefore, the 2025 volumes do not cover the entire year and are not comparable to the 2023 or 2024 volumes.

* New Style ESA applications and Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) are distinct processes, and successful outcomes are centrally collated only once a WCA has been completed. Not all applications proceed to a WCA. The only robust data source for successful outcomes is WCA data.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of cases have presenting officers from the Department for Work and Pensions been involved in regarding (1) first tier tribunals, and (2) upper tier tribunals, in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

To provide information on the percentage of first tier tribunal hearings across all DWP administered benefits would incur disproportionate costs.

The Department does not send Presenting Officers to Upper Tribunal hearings.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, of the new style Employment and Support Allowance applications granted in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025, how many were in the support group for (a) poor mental health as the primary condition, and (b) for any other reason.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Initial Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Capability Assessment (WCA) by date of decision and group allocation being Support Group (SG):

* Data is taken from Stat-Xplore. Volumes have been rounded to the nearest ten. Totals may not sum due to rounding and the disclosure control applied.

* New Style ESA ‘applications’ and Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) are distinct processes, and SG assignment is determined only once a WCA has been completed. Not all applications proceed to a WCA, and the primary health condition as per the International Classification of Diseases (2010) classification (ICD10) used in official statistics is captured at the WCA rather than on the application form. As a result, the only robust data source for SG outcomes by primary health condition is WCA data.

* The latest available data is for September 2025. Therefore, the 2025 volumes do not cover the entire year and are not comparable to the 2023 or 2024 volumes.

* ESA Group Allocation refers to the result of the WCA decision that been adjusted for appeal outcome. The outcome recorded is the final DWP Decision Maker's decision or appeal tribunal's decision or the recommendation made by the Healthcare Professional where the Decision Maker's decision is not yet available.

* ICD Group refers to the World Health Organisations' International Classification of Diseases (2010) Condition Groups. In DWP statistics, these are sometimes referred to as medical conditions. For reporting purposes, the conditions as recorded on the Employment Support Allowance Benefit system have been mapped to reflect as closely as possible the appropriate ICD10 code. Conditions are based on evidence provided at the start of the claim, this in itself does not confer entitlement to Employment and Support Allowance and may not represent a claimant's most recent medical condition. Where someone has more than one diagnosis or disabling condition, only the predominant one is reported on in these statistics.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, of the new style Employment and Support Allowance applications granted in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025, how many were in the work-related group for (a) poor mental health as the primary condition, and (b) for any other reason.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Initial Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Capability Assessment (WCA) by date of decision and group allocation being Work-Related Activity Group (WRAG):

* Data is taken from Stat-Xplore. Volumes have been rounded to the nearest ten. Totals may not sum due to rounding and the disclosure control applied.

* New Style ESA ‘applications’ and Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) are distinct processes, and WRAG assignment is determined only once a WCA has been completed. Not all applications proceed to a WCA, and the primary health condition as per the International Classification of Diseases (2010) classification (ICD10) used in official statistics is captured at the WCA rather than on the application form. As a result, the only robust data source for WRAG outcomes by health condition is WCA data.

* The latest available data is for September 2025. Therefore, the 2025 volumes do not cover the entire year and are not comparable to the 2023 or 2024 volumes.

* ESA Group Allocation refers to the result of the WCA decision that been adjusted for appeal outcome. The outcome recorded is the final DWP Decision Maker's decision or appeal tribunal's decision or the recommendation made by the Healthcare Professional where the Decision Maker's decision is not yet available.

* ICD Group refers to the World Health Organisations' International Classification of Diseases (2010) Condition Groups. In DWP statistics, these are sometimes referred to as medical conditions. For reporting purposes, the conditions as recorded on the Employment Support Allowance Benefit system have been mapped to reflect as closely as possible the appropriate ICD10 code. Conditions are based on evidence provided at the start of the claim, this in itself does not confer entitlement to Employment and Support Allowance and may not represent a claimant's most recent medical condition. Where someone has more than one diagnosis or disabling condition, only the predominant one is reported on in these statistics.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, what was the average length of time the Employment and Support Allowances were held for in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025 for those placed (a) in the support group, and (b) in the work-related group.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The median duration for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants in both (a) the support group and (b) the work-related activity group was over 5 years in all three years.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many miles of the King Charles III England Coast Path are now fully open to the public.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

A total of 2,065 miles of the King Charles III England Coast Path is now open to the public, out of the 2,689 miles submitted to Government. A further 556 miles are currently in the establishment phase, with 78 miles awaiting Government decision.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many presenting officers they employ in the Department for Work and Pensions.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department for Work and Pensions employs a total of 177.6 (FTE) Presenting Officers.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many and what percentage of the new style Employment and Support Allowance applications were for the primary condition of poor mental health in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Initial ESA Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) by date of decision:

* Data is taken from Stat-Xplore. Volumes have been rounded to the nearest ten. Totals may not sum due to rounding and the disclosure control applied.

* The latest available data is for September 2025. Therefore, the 2025 volumes do not cover the entire year and are not comparable to the 2023 or 2024 volumes.

* New Style ESA applications and Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) are distinct processes, and condition is centrally collated only once a WCA has been completed. Not all applications proceed to a WCA, and the primary health condition as per the International Classification of Diseases (2010) classification (ICD10) used in official statistics is captured at the WCA stage rather than on the application form. As a result, the only robust data source for health condition is WCA data. The figures include WCAs for means-tested ESA as well as new style, contributory ESA, but the great majority will be for new style ESA

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many charges have brought by the Environment Agency with regards to their national criminal investigation into water and sewerage service companies launched on 18 November 2021.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

There have been six charges involving two defendant water companies. This includes one conviction and two related acquittals for one defendant, Anglian Water Services Ltd. The other defendant has three charges pending.

Question

To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker why the Parliament Now app will no longer be supported from late March.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The ParliamentNow app is based on out-of-date technology that is no longer supported on the Apple and Google app stores, making it a potential security risk.

There are very few users of the app - the ParliamentNow app has on average 160 monthly users, compared to 51,000 monthly views of the equivalent webpages. Maintaining a standalone app is a disproportionate use of Parliament’s resources, when all the information is readily available on the website https://now.parliament.uk/.

While the ParliamentNow app is being decommissioned, and will no longer be supported from late March, the Parliament Now website will continue to be available at https://now.parliament.uk/.The website delivers a more accessible and future-proof service, better supporting reliable use with both current and emerging assistive technologies.

App-like shortcuts for the website can be set up on tablets and mobile devices to take users directly to the relevant content and provide all the same information, without the requirement for a bespoke mobile app. Instructions on how to set up an Annunciator icon on your phone can be found on ParliNet and support for members is available from the Parliamentary Digital Service Drop-In and Support Desk.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much financial borrowing has been enabled by NHS trusts due to their foundation trust status in the past five years.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We do not hold a comprehensive breakdown of National Health Service foundation trusts (FTs) borrowing from commercial lenders, so it is not possible to answer the specific question asked.

However, the Department provides financing for FTs in the form of Public Dividend Capital at 3.5% dividend rate and loans at interest rates at below market rates.

The lower costs and lower risks, for example terms relating to default of commercial borrowing, of obtaining finance from the Department has meant that commercial borrowing has not been typically needed.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Environment Agency has finished its investigation into Healthcare Environmental Services regarding disposal of waste in relation to the NHS.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The matter is under an advanced stage of review by the Environment Agency (EA). This is a complex case requiring the consideration of matters arising across jurisdictions and parallel legal proceedings. It is not appropriate to comment further until the EA’s review of the matter has been concluded.

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