Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
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 merits of indexing payments from the Financial Assistance Scheme for pensions accrued before 1997 by Allied Steel and Wire members.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are committed to consider what we have heard on this issue. I have heard first hand all the challenges facing ASW workers and others with pre-1997 accrued pensions. However any change in this area has significant implications on public finances for the taxpayer funded Financial Assistance Scheme.
We will continue to work through these important issues with the Pension Protection Fund. The PPF has recently reviewed, and made publicly available, its assessment of the potential impacts of addressing pre-1997 indexation for all the schemes within its remit.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will reply to the correspondence from the hon. member for Newton Abbot about case ref MW09732 / CMPT12025/78972 sent on 18 August 2025.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
A response has been issued to the MP on 12th November 2025. We apologise for the delay and are committed to improving response times. We have taken a number of steps, including deploying additional resource, to improve the timeliness of responses to MP enquiries.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 61228 on Government Departments: Reviews, how many lines of activity in his Department were considered as part of the zero based review.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
At Spending Review 2025, the government conducted the first zero-based review (ZBR) of department budgets in 18 years, with every line of spending scrutinised to ensure value for money.
Through the zero-based review, the Department for Work and Pensions carried out a line by line review of its current budgets. The review involved differing levels of granularity depending on the type and size of expenditure under review.
To ensure consistency in approach, cross-government guidance set expectations for the level of granularity each review should consider, recommending that departments review all spending within individual programme expenditure – at a minimum reflecting any lines of spending in excess of £1m per annum.
Savings identified through this process will support delivery of the government's commitment for all departments to deliver at least 5% savings and efficiencies by 2028-29.
Asked by: Margaret Mullane (Labour - Dagenham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to improve data collection on occupational diseases linked to silica exposure.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Clinical assessments of silicosis are being reported on the Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Disease (SWORD) database, which collects voluntary information from around 350 physicians of respiratory disease, including silicosis.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) intends to consult on potential changes to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) including consideration of changing the definitions of occupational diseases that employers would be required to report. HSE is intending to launch a public consultation on these options in 2026, which will be subject to Ministerial review.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 83834, with reference to his Department’s decision to withdraw funding for Level 7 apprenticeships from January 2026, what evidence from Skills England informed the conclusion that there would be no significant or unavoidable fall in the supply of these skills; whether that evidence will be published.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government's decision on defunding Level 7 apprenticeships, except for young apprentices under the age of 22, and those under 25 who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan, including a summary of the evidence that informed that decision, is published here: Written Statements - Hansard - UK Parliament.
This includes Skills England’s engagement with over 700 stakeholders including representatives from various sectors, employer representative bodies, and young people.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
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 backlog of cases within the Child Maintenance Service; and what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken to (a) process new applications and (b) resolve disputes.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) have no application or Mandatory Reconsideration (dispute) backlogs.
CMS is working on modernising service delivery with an aim of making services more cost efficient, effective, and timely. Both the applications and the Mandatory Reconsideration (dispute) process have been developed by improving customer communications, introducing digital options for making and progressing applications and disputes. Improved data sharing through enhanced collaboration with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and improvements to DWP systems to increase accuracy and speed of service.
Additionally, we are investing in improving training and guidance products and ensuring all of our services are resourced at stable levels that meet demand.
The CMS continues to monitor the effectiveness of these measures and continue to build on these improvements.
His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service have responsibility for appeals on CM decisions.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the minimum (a) English and (b) maths requirements are to complete (i) apprenticeships and (ii) vocational courses; and whether he plans to review those requirements.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Since February 2025, adults aged 19 and over no longer need to achieve a standalone English and maths qualification on top of their apprenticeship, where their employer agrees that this is not an essential part of their training. Young apprentices who are aged 16-18 at the start of their apprenticeship will continue to be required to achieve English and maths qualifications to put them in the best position to progress in their life and careers.
Upskilling in English and maths will continue to remain a key feature of all apprenticeships. All apprentices will continue to be required to secure and be assessed on the job-specific English and maths skills they need as part of the apprenticeship standard.
Regarding wider vocational courses, any student on a 16 to 19 study programme or T Level, who has not yet achieved an English and/or maths GCSE grade 4 or higher, must continue to be taught these subjects. However, the award of a qualification for these vocational courses is not contingent on their achievement of a grade 4.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 83834, what discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health and Social Care on the potential impact on NHS workforce (a) recruitment and (b) retention; and how many (i) current and (ii) planned Level 7 nursing apprenticeships are expected to be affected by the withdrawal of funding.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department continues to work closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), to support apprenticeships and skills provision. The DHSC has confirmed that it will fund the ongoing provision of level 7 apprenticeships in five professions including Specialist community public health nurse, District nurse and Advanced clinical practitioner.
The department continues to fund level 7 apprenticeships for young people under the age of 22, and those under 25 who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan.
The government completed an equality impact assessment ahead of making its decision on the changes to level 7 apprenticeship funding.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 83834, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) short and (b) medium term impact of this policy on the number of nurses in training between 2026 and 2030; whether an equality impact assessment has been undertaken.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department continues to work closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), to support apprenticeships and skills provision. The DHSC has confirmed that it will fund the ongoing provision of level 7 apprenticeships in five professions including Specialist community public health nurse, District nurse and Advanced clinical practitioner.
The department continues to fund level 7 apprenticeships for young people under the age of 22, and those under 25 who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan.
The government completed an equality impact assessment ahead of making its decision on the changes to level 7 apprenticeship funding.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the equitableness of the Child Maintenance Service's (a) fee structure and (b) case prioritisation (i) where a paying parent has multiple children across different claims and (ii) all other cases.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service operates on the principle that both parents have financial responsibility for their child, including their food and clothing, as well as contributing towards the associated costs of running the home that the child lives in.
Information about the paying parent's gross income is taken directly from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for the latest tax year available. This allows calculations to be made quickly and accurately.
The calculation can also take into account other aspects such as where care of the child is shared between the parents and any other children that the paying parent provides care.
The CMS recognises the complexity of cases where a paying parent has multiple children across different claims and is committed to ensuring that all children receive fair and timely support.
Where a paying parent has multiple children across different claims, the CMS recalculates the total maintenance liability based on the number of qualifying children across all cases, fees are based on a percentage of the total ongoing maintenance (OGM) amount, not on the number of arrangements.
The calculation can also take into account any other children outside of the statutory scheme for whom the paying parent provides support. This ensures the Child Maintenance Service fulfils its responsibility to consider the welfare of all children connected to a case.
A consultation on proposed CMS reforms was published by the previous Government on 8 May 2024. The consultation was extended by the Government at the end of July and ran until 30 September 2024. The Government published a response on 23 June 2025. This included plans to reform the CMS fee structure for the Collect and Pay Service, reducing fees to 2% for receiving parents, deducted from maintenance received, and 2% for compliant paying parents in addition to their calculated maintenance amount, while maintaining the 20% rate for non-compliant paying parents, in addition to their calculated maintenance amount.
The Government is conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose. This includes updating the underlying research and considering how to ensure the calculation reflects current and future societal trends.
Options for proposed reforms are currently being considered. Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation will be subject to extensive public consultation, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.