Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement UIN HCWS1044 on Pensions Update of 11 November 2025, what estimate his Department has made of the potential costs of delivering compensation in line with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report on Women’s State Pension age communications; and what mechanisms for delivering that compensation he is considering.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
As the Secretary of State set out on 11 November 2025, we are retaking the decision made in December 2024 as it relates to the communications on State Pension age. The process to retake the decision is underway and it is important that the government give this full and proper consideration.
Retaking this decision should not be taken as an indication that Government will necessarily decide that they should award financial redress.
We will update the House on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached.
Asked by: Douglas McAllister (Labour - West Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent progress he has made on improving cooperation between the UK Government and the devolved Administrations.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
This government reset relations with the devolved governments, has delivered record funding settlements for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and is bringing pride to communities in every part of the UK with our groundbreaking Pride in Place scheme, including in West Dunbartonshire.
My honourable friend’s constituents are best served when both of Scotland’s governments work in partnership, to create jobs and opportunities for all Scots, and that is exactly the approach I have taken in this role.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues tp help reduce the prevalence of phone use whilst driving.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government takes road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The use of mobile phones while driving is unacceptable, and there are already tough penalties for those committing an offence.
We published our Road Safety Strategy on 07 January setting out our plans to improve the safety of our roads. As part of this we are reviewing the motoring offences and published a consultation, exploring areas of particular concern including drink and drug driving.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to replace HMS Middleton in the Middle East upon its return to the UK.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence keeps its force posture in the Middle East under continual review to safeguard UK interests. The Royal Navy remains committed to regional stability through its enduring presence under Operation KIPION, including the UK Maritime Component Command (UKMCC), located in Bahrain, with a footprint of over 130 personnel. The Royal Navy’s modernisation programme has already delivered an autonomous Mine Countermeasures capability operating in the Gulf, continuing to innovate at pace.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 effectiveness of the Property Redress Scheme in providing impartial and evidence-based dispute resolution for leaseholders and tenants.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 76613 and Question UIN 76612 on 16 October 2025.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the establishment of a Space Skills Taskforce.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
No meetings have so far taken place, however, developing the United Kingdom's Space sector is an important part of this Government's commitment to supporting jobs, security and prosperity for our country as shown in the Defence Space Strategy.
The Space Ministerial Forum has met 3 times since it was set up in early 2025.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the UK’s compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in relation to women born in the 1950s affected by changes to the state pension age.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK is fully compliant with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, including in relation to women born in the 1950s affected by changes to the State Pension age.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department records the UK civilian airports that the US military uses for operational, training or transitory purposes.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment relating to foreign nations’ military aircraft movement.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of redundancies to be made in the Prison Education Service as a result of the reduction in funding.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Ministry of Justice is committed to supporting prisoners’ rehabilitation through educational activities. The national funding for prison education has not been reduced; it increased by 3% this financial year. However, inflationary pressures across education services have affected the proportion of the overall budget that can be directed to Core Education contracts. This has resulted in a national reduction of around 20-25% in Core Education delivery. This reduction is not uniform across the estate, and variation is due to an updated education funding formula, which ensures prison allocations more accurately reflect prison function, capacity and learner need.
Governors continue to have flexibility to commission the education that best meets the needs of their population, and the wider educational offer, such as vocational training in industries settings, further and higher education, libraries, and Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance remain in place. We are also working closely with Governors to maximise attendance at education to ensure best value for money and the best outcomes for prisoners. We will monitor delivery and outcomes through contract management and a full evaluation of the new Prisoner Education Service.
Suppliers as part of their mobilisation activities have reviewed their organisational structures to ensure that these are responsive to the commissioned delivery requirements, which unfortunately has led to some redundancies. Suppliers are working to support their employees through this period of change. Specific figures relating to the number of redundancies are held by suppliers, rather than the Ministry of Justice.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of reduced funding for the prison education service on prisoner outcomes.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Ministry of Justice is committed to supporting prisoners’ rehabilitation through educational activities. The national funding for prison education has not been reduced; it increased by 3% this financial year. However, inflationary pressures across education services have affected the proportion of the overall budget that can be directed to Core Education contracts. This has resulted in a national reduction of around 20-25% in Core Education delivery. This reduction is not uniform across the estate, and variation is due to an updated education funding formula, which ensures prison allocations more accurately reflect prison function, capacity and learner need.
Governors continue to have flexibility to commission the education that best meets the needs of their population, and the wider educational offer, such as vocational training in industries settings, further and higher education, libraries, and Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance remain in place. We are also working closely with Governors to maximise attendance at education to ensure best value for money and the best outcomes for prisoners. We will monitor delivery and outcomes through contract management and a full evaluation of the new Prisoner Education Service.
Suppliers as part of their mobilisation activities have reviewed their organisational structures to ensure that these are responsive to the commissioned delivery requirements, which unfortunately has led to some redundancies. Suppliers are working to support their employees through this period of change. Specific figures relating to the number of redundancies are held by suppliers, rather than the Ministry of Justice.