Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Local Housing Allowance freeze on homelessness.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum housing support for tenants in the private rented sector. Households in similar circumstances living in the same area are entitled to the same maximum rent allowance, regardless of the contractual rent paid. LHA rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas.
LHA rates are reviewed annually at Autumn Budget. The Secretary of State confirmed in his Written Ministerial Statement that LHA rates would be maintained at their current 2024/25 levels for 2026/27.
Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
The impact on private renters was considered alongside factors such as rent levels across Great Britain, the fiscal context and welfare priorities including the decision to remove the two-child limit which will bring 450,000 children out of poverty.
Information on the number of households in receipt of LHA and those in shortfall (i.e. where contractual rent costs exceed LHA), is available on Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/). Monthly Universal Credit statistics showing the number of households in receipt of LHA and those in shortfall are published in the Households on Universal Credit dataset, and the Housing Benefit – Data from April 2018 dataset, and are currently available to August 2025.
Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest, and if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.
Renters facing a shortfall in meeting their housing costs can apply for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) from local authorities. From April 2026 DHPs for England will be incorporated into the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). However, DWP would also point out that the causes of homelessness are multi-faceted and interact dynamically making it very difficult to isolate the relative importance of individual factors. We work closely with other departments, including MHCLG, to ensure the impacts of LHA on homelessness are considered.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of payments received by unpaid carers for people harmed by sodium valproate.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
People in Great Britain who provide unpaid care of 35 hours a week or more can receive financial support from the benefit system through Universal Credit (UC) or Pension Credit (PC). Carer’s Allowance (CA) is also available to those in England and Wales. UC and PC are means-tested and include additional amounts for carers worth around £2,400 a year. CA is not means-tested and is worth around £4,300 a year.
Payments to the unpaid carer are linked to the extra costs disability benefit received by the person with care needs. This is most commonly the Daily Living Component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the middle or highest rate Care Component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Attendance Allowance (AA), or the equivalent rates of Child Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment in Scotland. Receipt of PIP, DLA or AA is based on functional ability, rather than the health condition or disability itself. Individuals can be affected in different ways by the same condition, and so the outcome of a PIP claim from somebody harmed by sodium valproate would depend on individual circumstances. The amount of the carer additions in UC and PC, and the rate of CA, do not depend on the reason that the extra costs disability benefit is in payment.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
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 future reforms to Personal Independence Payment are accompanied by the publication of impact assessments on (a) mental health and (b) poverty.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have launched the Timms Review to ensure Personal Independence Payment is fair and fit for the future. To ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work, the Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts.
The Review will report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by autumn 2026, and we have committed to holding a general debate in Parliament on its outcomes in government time.
The Government routinely considers impacts to inform ministerial decisions, and information on impacts will be published in line with usual practice, including alongside any legislation.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to reduce the level of incorrect Personal Independence Payment decisions for people with disabilities resulting from sodium valproate.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It is our aim to make the right decision as early as possible in the claim journey. To support this, we have made improvements to our decision-making processes to help ensure people get the support they are entitled to without needing to appeal. This includes giving Decision Makers additional time to proactively contact customers if they think additional evidence may support the claim.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the timing of the publication of the draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill on leaseholders.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As per our manifesto commitment, this government is taking the steps necessary to finally bring the feudal leasehold system to an end in this Parliament.
Publication of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill was delayed by a matter of weeks to finalise elements of policy and drafting.
The draft Bill was published yesterday, and I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made (HCWS1278).
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with freehold investors and their representatives on the (a) content and (b) timing of the draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill since July 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Officials in my Department engage regularly with representatives of freeholders, leaseholders, managing agents and other professional bodies with an interest in the leasehold sector in England and Wales.
The draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill was published yesterday, and I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made (HCWS1278).
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason the publication of the draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill was delayed.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As per our manifesto commitment, this government is taking the steps necessary to finally bring the feudal leasehold system to an end in this Parliament.
Publication of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill was delayed by a matter of weeks to finalise elements of policy and drafting.
The draft Bill was published yesterday, and I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made (HCWS1278).
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the proportion of the £104 billion of private investment referred to in ‘A new vision for water’, published January 2026, that will be spent across each region of England and Wales.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ofwat, the independent economic regulator, monitors and reports on water company spending and financing through its annual performance report and its monitoring and financial resilience report. These documents are publicly available.
Ofwat’s five-yearly ‘price review’ sets the price, investment and service package for water companies in England and Wales. Ofwat’s Price Review 2024 (PR24) final determination by water company can be found here: Final determinations in the 2024 price review - Ofwat. This publication sets out the investment programme by water company, and therefore by region.
The Government has set out its new vision for water through a White Paper published on 20 January 2026. The White Paper sets out once in a generation reforms that will transform the water system for good, with a renewed focus on securing a fair deal for customers, investors, and the environment, to rebuild trust and secure a water system that works for everyone.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what mechanisms are in place to ensure that water companies deliver the improvements promised through the £104 billion of private investment referred to in ‘A new vision for water’, published January 2026.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ofwat, the independent economic regulator, monitors and reports on water company spending and financing through its annual performance report and its monitoring and financial resilience report. These documents are publicly available.
Ofwat’s five-yearly ‘price review’ sets the price, investment and service package for water companies in England and Wales. Ofwat’s Price Review 2024 (PR24) final determination by water company can be found here: Final determinations in the 2024 price review - Ofwat. This publication sets out the investment programme by water company, and therefore by region.
The Government has set out its new vision for water through a White Paper published on 20 January 2026. The White Paper sets out once in a generation reforms that will transform the water system for good, with a renewed focus on securing a fair deal for customers, investors, and the environment, to rebuild trust and secure a water system that works for everyone.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Department publishing an open opportunity contract on 6 January 2026 entitled Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme (HORRP) - Phase 3 - 2026 – 2028, whether her Department plans to issue similar contracts to support deportations to other countries.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
This programme plays a crucial part in negotiating returns arrangements with other countries, which is essential to making returns of their citizens effective and sustainable, so we will continue working with countries worldwide to achieve this.