Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many super-injunctions are in effect in the UK.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government does not publish data on the number of super-injunctions currently in force, due to the sensitive and often confidential nature of such orders.
Where such orders are made, they are typically issued by the High Court under strict judicial oversight and may include provisions that prevent disclosure of their very existence.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value is of financial guarantees provided by the National Wealth Fund to support social housing retrofit loans provided by (a) NatWest Group, (b) Barclays UK Corporate Bank, (c) Lloyds Banking Group and (d) The Housing Finance Corporation since October 2024.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The National Wealth Fund (NWF) has committed £1.3bn total guarantees for social housing retrofit to help mobilise private capital into the social housing sector at scale. As of July 2025, the NWF has committed to providing guarantees of up to:
a. £400m for NatWest Group
2. £350m for Barclays UK Corporate Bank
3. £400m for Lloyds Banking Group
3. £150m for The Housing Finance Corporation.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Written Statement of 17 June 2025 on Afghanistan HCWS703, if he will publish a list of people he is referring to when stating that his Department speaks "directly with Afghans and civil society to inform our policy and programming".
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
To maintain the privacy and security of the people with whom we engage, including those based in Afghanistan, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will not be publishing a list of Afghan and civil society contacts. Ministers and officials will continue to engage regularly with a diverse range of Afghans and civil society contacts.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many in-person inspections were carried out by Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority officers on farms in Scotland in 2024; and how many (a) workers and (b) workers on the UK seasonal worker visa were spoken to at each inspection.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
In 2024, 18 in-person inspection visits were undertaken by Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) officers on farms in Scotland. This figure includes compliance and enforcement inspections, as well as joint inspections with other enforcement bodies, such as UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). The GLAA does not hold data on which visas are held by workers at these farms.
In England and Wales, the GLAA has responsibilities to investigate reports of modern slavery. In Scotland, the primacy for this lies with Police Scotland but the GLAA support this activity to target, dismantle and disrupt serious and organised crime.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) guidance, (b) training and (c) minimum standards are provided to work coaches supporting clients with learning difficulties.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
All Work Coaches new to DWP receive mandatory learning to support vulnerable customers and complex needs as part of their induction and onboarding, this includes helping customer who need additional support.
DWP Work Coaches also receive comprehensive training to support individuals with additional needs. This learning begins with the core Work Coach learning journey, and is reinforced through ongoing, point-of-need learning throughout their role. Key topics include:
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 5 week wait for Universal Credit on housing arrears owed to (a) local authorities and (b) social housing providers.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No such assessment has been made.
The Government is reviewing Universal Credit, to make sure it is doing the job we want it to. Procedures are in place to support customers having difficulty in managing their housing payments. Payment of housing costs and rent arrears can be made direct to landlords. Direct payment requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and can be considered at the start or at any point during the UC claim to support the tenancy for the home the customer currently lives in. The need may be identified in the Service Centre, Jobcentre or requested by the claimant, their appointee, caseworker, or landlord advising of a vulnerability, rent arrears or risk of eviction.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the (a) Special Envoy to Afghanistan and (b) Afghanistan department will be located within the Whitehall premises of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Special Envoy to Afghanistan and the Afghanistan department operate from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's headquarters in the UK. This arrangement ensures the UK can continue to engage effectively on Afghanistan policy, including with a broad range of Afghan stakeholders, while maintaining flexibility in how and where that engagement takes place.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish the expected advisory arrangements to the Special Envoy for Afghanistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Mission to Afghanistan in Doha closed on 30 June 2025. Mr Richard Lindsay was appointed as Special Envoy to Afghanistan on 17 June. He will lead a new Afghanistan department from the UK, taking on the duties of the current Chargé d'Affaires. These changes will not affect our resolve to support the people of Afghanistan, which is unwavering.
This new model will allow the UK to actively engage with a broader range of Afghans. The Special Envoy will engage the Taliban on UK priorities including counter terrorism, human rights, and humanitarian access; support intra-Afghan dialogue; engage women, religious and ethnic minorities who suffer at the hands of the Taliban; and work with regional countries on shared priorities.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of consumer protections under the ECO 4 scheme.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
ECO4 insulation measures must be installed by TrustMark registered businesses, who are required to adhere to relevant industry standards. Installations of low carbon measures must be carried out in accordance with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) requirements.
Improvements to consumer protection are underway and we will set out plans for root and branch reform as part of the Warm Homes Plan.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to audit spending under the ECO 4 scheme.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem is the scheme administrator and audits progress on the ECO4 scheme. It publishes regular updates on its website https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/energy-company-obligation-eco/contacts-guidance-and-resources/eco-public-reports-and-data.