Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to deliver the UK’s financial commitments from the Nutrition for Growth Summit 2021.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK’s longstanding commitment to addressing malnutrition was reaffirmed earlier this year at the Nutrition for Growth Summit.
During that summit, we launched the Global Compact on Nutrition Integration and committed to continue integrating nutrition across our development programmes.
We are also continuing to support the Child Nutrition Fund to tackle acute malnutrition, and providing Technical Assistance to help developing countries improve their own nutrition responses.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
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 (a) reducing and (b) reforming the Access to Work budget on the disability employment gap.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims by 27% and applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing are prioritised.
The Green Paper launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work which has now concluded. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure Access to Work applications are processed within a reasonable timeframe.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims by 27% and applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing are prioritised.
The Green Paper launched a consultation which has now concluded. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of applicants for Access to Work wait longer than the target timeframe for (a) decisions and (b) payments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department publishes official statistics on approvals, expenditure, and customer volumes. However, it does not publish processing times for decisions or payments.
Official statistics on approvals and payments are published annually and can be accessed here: Access to Work statistics - GOV.UK
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the role of British embassies in encouraging overseas voter registration since January 2024.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We encourage all British nationals to register as overseas voters if they move or live abroad. British Nationals abroad can contact their local Embassy or High Commission for more information.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has had discussions with Invest Northern Ireland on its Strategic Cooperation Framework Memorandum of Understanding with the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government supports UK businesses to do business with China – while being open-eyed to any risks.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Access to Work decisions are overturned following mandatory reconsideration or appeal.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
If an individual is unhappy with the outcome of their Access to Work assessment they can request that their award be reviewed by a different Access to Work case manager. This is an internal process, known as a reconsideration.
In 2024/25, the Department received 1,378 AtW reconsideration requests. Of these, 953 had a decision recorded, and 188 resulted in the original decision being partially or fully overturned.
Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help tackle tax evasion in the Overseas Territories.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury and I met with leaders from the Overseas Territories at the Joint Ministerial Council last week, where issues around the financial sector were discussed.
All OTs with financial centres have committed to upholding international tax standards, including those on tax transparency and exchange of information, and Base Erosion and Profit Shifting.
We are working with OTs to support their development of accessible beneficial ownership registers, which will enhance transparency, deter the concealment of illicit gains and strengthen enforcement against tax evasion and non-compliance.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to support young people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire into employment, education or training.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government understands the negative effects of unemployment can be particularly pronounced for young people and can have longstanding implications on their future earnings potential and life chances.
That is why at Budget the Government announced that £820 million has been committed to the Youth Guarantee over the next three years to support all young people aged 16 to 24 to earn or learn. This includes the previously announced Jobs Guarantee, which will guaranteeing six-months of paid work for every eligible 18-21 year old who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months. Under the Jobs Guarantee we will fund 100% of the wages for the six months (up to 25hrs/week at the relevant minimum wage), as well as the additional employment costs and a budget for wrap around support. Further details on the Youth Guarantee will be announced shortly.
In Newcastle-under-Lyme the DWP Employer and Partnership team is actively involved with the Newcastle Employment and Skills Group (NSEG). They work closely with stakeholders such as Aspire Housing, Keele University, and prominent employers at Lymedale Business Park, including TK Maxx, ASDA, and Radwell International. Youth Employment Programmes, such as Positive Directions and We Mean Business, offer fully funded 5-week courses for 16–24-year-olds who are not engaged in employment, education, or training. Additionally, our outreach efforts through probation services and police provide tailored employment pathways, mentoring, and reintegration support for young people at risk of offending.
In Staffordshire, our DWP Schools Advisers have supported over 3,600 young people across in the 2024/25 academic year. This includes 220 students in Newcastle-under-Lyme at Orme Academy, St Peter's Academy, and Abbey Hill Special School. Young people have access to training in Digital Marketing, Cyber Security, Web Design, and Emergency First Aid for Mental Health through The Training Initiative.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2025 to Question 87802 on Access to Work Programme, whether his Department has any plans to collect data on employment outcomes for Access to Work customers following reassessments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Access to Work is only available to individuals who are in employment. The Department for Work and Pensions does not therefore collect data on employment outcomes for Access to Work applicants, including after reassessments.
In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the Access to Work scheme. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.