Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that disabled people, including those living with multiple sclerosis, who rely on Motability vehicles do not lose their ability to live independently following changes to the Motability scheme announced in the Autumn Budget.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Motability Scheme support many disabled people and families including those living with multiple sclerosis, by enabling them to lease a car, wheelchair accessible vehicle, scooter or powered wheelchair in exchange for an eligible disability benefit allowance.
The Motability Scheme will continue to offer a choice of vehicles, to meet a range of accessibility needs. The changes announced at the budget will not apply to current leases or wheelchair adapted vehicles, and the Scheme will continue to offer vehicles which require no advance payment, meaning that people will be able to access a suitable vehicle using only their qualifying disability benefit.
Motability Foundation, the independent charity with responsibility for overseeing the Scheme, will continue to offer means-tested grants to support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford specialist adaptations for a vehicle leased through the Scheme.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the government has held discussions with Motability following the revision of vehicle brands supported by the scheme to prioritise British made vehicles and to report accurate data on the number of British and non-British made vehicles procured.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Motability Operations, an independent commercial company which delivers the Motability Scheme, has announced plans to support the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy. The number of British made vehicles purchased by the scheme will reach 25% by 2030, with an ambition of 50% of vehicles registered on the Scheme being made in the UK by 2035.
The Department for Work and Pensions will continue to meet regularly with Motability Foundation, the independent charity with responsibility for overseeing the Scheme, to discuss the Schemes operation.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complex case coaches (a) are currently employed and (b) have been for each month since June 2024.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There is no specific Work Coach role defined as Complex Case Coach.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the policy papers entitled Spending Review 2025, published on 30 June 2025, and Budget 2025, published on 28 November 2025, what their Department’s capital Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) will be in each year of the Spending Review period; how much capital funding has been allocated to each of their Department’s programmes; and how much and what proportion of the capital DEL allocation remains unallocated in each year.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Budget 2025 confirmed capital Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) plans for 2025/26 to 2029/30; £6.8 billion in 2025/26, £8.3 billion in 2026/27, and £7.7 billion in 2027/28 to 2029/30.
A proportion is allocated to improving condition of the school and college estate by increasing the annual capital maintenance investment in line with inflation, rising to around £2.6 billion in 2029/30. The settlement also commits around £2.4 billion capital funding per annum over the next four years to continue the School Rebuilding Programme of over 500 schools.
We have committed over £560 million to reform the children’s social care system and support the refurbishment and expansion of children’s homes and foster care placements, and around £370 million for school-based nurseries.
Yearly allocation will be determined through the department’s internal processes to balance these commitments with operational needs. This will be presented to parliament and published annually at Mains Estimates. All capital DEL allocations are fully allocated towards departmental capital priorities.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support is available for workers who have been exposed to hazardous chemicals in upholstery and furniture manufacturing.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government offers a range of financial support for individuals whose health has been adversely affected by exposure to hazardous chemicals in the workplace.
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is a non-contributory, non-means-tested benefit paid to those who become disabled because of a workplace accident or certain prescribed industrial diseases. The amount of benefit awarded depends on the level of disablement, which is assessed by an independent medical professional. In some cases, additional allowances may also be available, depending on individual circumstances.
Those who are unable to work due to illness or disability may be able to claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Eligibility is dependent on satisfying the basic conditions of entitlement and contribution conditions. Where appropriate, individuals may claim Universal Credit which provides financial support for people on low incomes or who are unable to work because of a health condition.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can provide help towards the extra costs arising from a long-term health condition or disability for working-aged people. Entitlement to PIP focuses on the functional impacts of a person’s health condition or disability on their daily life and is assessed on the basis of needs arising and not on the condition itself.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the current clearance times for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit claims.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Monthly statistics on Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) assessments, by assessment month and decision time, are published on Stat-Xplore . They are available for claim starts to March 2025. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made on delivering Project Brakestop.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Multiple contracts have been placed to develop prototype one-way effectors to meet Project BRAKESTOP's requirements, for which the builds are highly advanced. Flight trials are due to start soon.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, further to question 95498 if he will make an assessment of the impact for his policies of the findings of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation entitled Guarantee our Essentials: reforming Universal Credit to ensure we can all afford the essentials in hard time, published on 4 March 2025.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As I set out in the response I gave on 4 December 2025 to PQ UIN 95498, this government is taking important steps to tackle child poverty and improve the support we provide people with their living costs.
There is no overall agreed approach to benchmark benefit levels. Each household will always have different requirements depending on their circumstances. We will continue to consider evidence and insights from a range of organisations to ensure the social security system provides the support people need.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making mandatory directions to schools in England to ban mobile phones in the classroom.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Mobile phones have no place in school and school leaders already have the power to ban them.
The department’s guidance on mobile phones in schools, published in February 2024, is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices with smart technology throughout the school day, including during lessons, transitions and breaks.
We expect all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning. If pupils fail to follow those rules, schools have the power to confiscate devices.
Research from the Children’s Commissioner published in April 2025, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that the overwhelming majority of schools (99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools) already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the number of (a) suspensions and (b) exclusions among pupils with SEND in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department trusts headteachers to use their professional judgement, based on the individual circumstances of the case, when issuing a sanction and in the most serious cases exclusion may be necessary.
The department regularly analyses and publishes pupil suspension and permanent exclusion data to address disproportionate impacts and remains committed to providing earlier intervention in mainstream schools, focusing on pupils most at risk of exclusion to ensure every child can achieve and thrive.