Asked by: Laura Kyrke-Smith (Labour - Aylesbury)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to encourage small and medium sized businesses to retain apprentices once they complete their apprenticeship.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Apprenticeships help give small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) the skills they need to grow, enabling them to fill vacancies, train their workforces and fill skills gaps. Retaining apprentices after completion enables smaller employers to maximise the return on their investment in training which includes the need to release their apprentices for off-the-job training.
The Government encourages small and medium-sized businesses to retain apprentices through targeted financial incentives and employer support. Employers of all sizes can receive up to £2,000 for taking on foundation apprentices, with the final payment made only if the apprentice progresses to a further apprenticeship with the same employer within 6 months. For non-levy paying employers (who are predominantly SMEs), we are introducing a new hiring grant, worth £2,000, to take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. Payments are made in instalments to support retention and/or progression of apprentices.
The government also facilitates and funds the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN), made up of around 3,000 employers and apprentices across nine regional networks, which provides mentoring and peer support to help smaller businesses recruit and retain apprentices.
Many apprentices will remain with their employer following their apprenticeship and 94% of apprentices who achieve their apprenticeship go into work or further training, with the majority in sustained employment.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a full review of statutory maternity pay, accrued annual leave flexibility for teachers and the gender equality implications of statutory maternity pay.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to making life better for families and has announced a review of the parental leave and pay system. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements are in scope of the Parental Leave and Pay Review, including Statutory Maternity Pay.
Specific occupational maternity and contractual leave arrangements for teachers are the remit of the Department for Education, employers and unions.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help tackle content advising individuals to misrepresent health conditions for financial gain though the benefits system.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave on 24th March 2026 to PQ 123138.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Access to Work staff receive specialist advice on visual impairment when assessing applications and renewals for blind and partially sighted customers.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Access to Work staff are trained to assess applications from all disability groups and individual impairments, taking account of each customer’s needs and circumstances. Staff are able to access specific support relating to individual impairments where necessary.
Where specialist advice is required to inform the outcome, Access to Work staff may arrange a workplace assessment through one of its contracted providers to help identify appropriate adjustments and support to address workplace barriers.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2026 to Question 125067 on Motability, in what circumstances the reduction in mileage allowance from 20,000 miles to 10,000 miles a year can be mitigated.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors. This includes how they will determine what circumstances the reduction in mileage allowance can be mitigated.
Motability have indicated that they will be introducing an exceptions process for very limited situations and will share an update before 1 July.
Asked by: Andrew Cooper (Labour - Mid Cheshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with the Health and Safety Executive on the effectiveness of artificial intelligence-led safety systems in reducing workplace fatalities in the (a) construction and (b) logistics sectors; and if he will make a statement on the development of industry protocols for these systems.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has undertaken research into how businesses are adopting AI and its implications for workplace health and safety. This research has examined the use of AI in developing health and safety provisions across a wide range of sectors, including construction and logistics.
HSE is working with industry partners to develop benchmarks that enable best use of AI in workplaces. It is also contributing toward the development of international standards for AI interaction with machinery and functional safety.
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, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Unpaid carers impacted by unclear guidance to have debts cancelled, published on 13 April 2026, how many unpaid carers in (a) Basildon, (b) Thurrock and (c) Essex are expected to have their Carer’s Allowance debts (i) reduced, (ii) cancelled or (iii) refunded.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost to the department.
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, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Unpaid carers impacted by unclear guidance to have debts cancelled, published on 13 April 2026, how many Carer’s Allowance overpayment cases in (a) Basildon, (b) Thurrock and (c) Essex are under review.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost to the department.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether trade unions will be formal stakeholders in the Disability Confident Reform Delivery Plan.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Disability Confident Reform Delivery Plan (Disability Confident Reform Delivery Plan for December 2025 to December 2026 - GOV.UK) sets out a clear commitment to meaningful stakeholder engagement throughout the reform period, recognising that the scheme’s credibility and impact depend on being shaped with those it affects.
Trade unions are an important part of this engagement landscape. The Reform Delivery Plan makes it clear that reform will be developed collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders, including employee representative organisations, to ensure the scheme is robust, credible and focused on real‑world outcomes for disabled people.
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 estimate he has made of the level of misuse of Motability Scheme vehicles in the last five years.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme, including identifying and tackling misuse of the Scheme, sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors.
Any misuse of scheme vehicles is taken seriously and Motability Operations has a dedicated unit that works to prevent, detect and handle such cases, and take action where appropriate. Motability investigates the information it receives about misuse of scheme vehicles and works with a range of partners.