Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department have met representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign from (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England since September 2024.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
During this time, the previous Minister for Pensions met with representatives, the first Minister to do so in eight years.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what percentage of people have had their child benefits incorrectly suspended from (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England in each of the last three years.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HMRC does not hold information on incorrect suspensions of Child Benefit. This is because, where there is doubt over a customer’s Child Benefit entitlement, HMRC will check eligibility and take appropriate action to safeguard public money. This may involve suspending payment whilst enquiries are ongoing. In cases where eligibility is later confirmed, it does not mean that the suspension was incorrectly applied.
However, HMRC has acknowledged that the way it expanded compliance using international travel data between August and October last year impacted some eligible customers, where upfront checks of UK employment through PAYE were excluded on 23,794 enquiries. It took swift action to address the issues including retrospective PAYE checks and automatic reinstatement of 5,327 payments by the middle of November 2025.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that people in Yeovil constituency can afford (a) healthy and (b) sustainable diets.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is working with other Government departments on the Healthy Start Scheme, which helps to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. In April 2026, the value of the weekly payments increased by 10%. Pregnant women and children aged over one and under four years old will each receive £4.65 per week, up from £4.25, and children under one years old will each receive £9.30 per week, up from £8.50.
In May 2026, the Healthy Start Scheme supported over 351,000 people, which included 204 households, or families, in Yeovil.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for a (a) theory and (b) practical driving test in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government set out a comprehensive package of measures in April 2025 to tackle long car practical driving test waiting times, aiming to deliver around 10,000 additional tests per month. A key step was reintroducing overtime incentives in June 2025.
Since then, at Yeovil driving test centre (DTC), 819 additional overtime tests were delivered between June 2025 and May 2026 when compared to the previous year.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is also continuing with recruitment campaigns for Yeovil DTC and surrounding areas, to provide as many tests as possible.
DVSA has a key performance indicator (KPI) to provide theory test candidates with a test appointment within 28 days of their preferred date which is measured as a regional average. Despite unprecedented levels of demand for theory tests this KPI is consistently met, including for candidates in Yeovil.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to encourage investment in (a) community initiatives and (b) social infrastructure in Somerset that improves access to (i) affordable and (ii) healthy food.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Through the Good Food Cycle, published in July 2025, we are working across Government to create a healthier, more affordable, sustainable, and resilient food system, including improving access to safe, affordable, healthy and convenient food options for all.
We will continue to work with partners across the food system to consider how we can better support local and community-led initiatives that improve access to healthy, affordable food, recognising that the best solutions often come from the ground up.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the new biodiversity net gain exemption for small sites will apply to existing planning applications in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As announced on 15th April 2026 in the government’s response to the consultation on Improving Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for minor, medium and brownfield development, Defra will bring forward secondary legislation before summer recess 2026 with the intention of changes coming into force at the end of July / early August 2026 (subject to parliamentary scheduling). This will also specify the date that they will come into effect. These regulations will:
• introduce a new 0.2 hectare area based exemption so that developments under this size threshold will not be subject to BNG.
• remove the current self and custom build exemption.
• exempt temporary planning permissions granted for a maximum of 5 years from BNG requirements.
• amend the biodiversity gain hierarchy for minor development.
Until changes take effect, the current BNG requirement remains in place, so the exemption for small sites will not apply until these changes are made, and developers should continue to follow existing guidance and legislation when delivering BNG.
BNG applies to planning applications in England, including Yeovil and Somerset.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England's Specialised Neurology Services Specification and Annex A, effective from 1 April 2026, what assessment he has made of whether people with Primary Progressive Aphasia are receiving access to specialised Cognitive Neurology services in accordance with that specification.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The adult neurology service specification, published by NHS England, sets out the standards expected of specialised neurology services commissioned across England, including multidisciplinary care, timely access to diagnostics, and coordinated pathways for people with complex neurological conditions such as primary progressive aphasia. Specialised neurology services are commissioned against these national specifications, and providers are expected to deliver care in line with these requirements.
NHS England requires all commissioned specialised neurology centres to have regard to the service specification and to embed its standards within clinical practice. Implementation is supported through contractual arrangements and service development discussions between NHS England and providers, recognising that local service configuration and patient need may shape the way in which requirements are delivered in practice.
Compliance with service specifications is monitored through a structured combination of contractual obligations, routine data reporting, and external regulatory oversight. In addition, national improvement programmes, such as Getting It Right First Time, support the reduction of unwarranted variation and promote adherence to best practice, including for people with rarer neurological conditions such as primary progressive aphasia.
Together, these arrangements help to ensure that patients receive high-quality, evidence-based care in line with nationally defined standards, while allowing services to be delivered in a way that reflects local clinical pathways and patient needs.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she will publish a costed implementation plan for Special Educational Needs and Disability reform.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department’s approach to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform, including funding and implementation, is set out in the SEND consultation document and its accompanying annexes which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first-html-version.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the impact of UK corporations holding online-only Annual General Meetings on the digitally excluded in Yeovil constituency who have a financial stake in such corporations.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government has committed to clarifying the law in relation to fully virtual Annual General Meetings (AGMs). Officials are engaging with investors and business across the country on the practicalities of this and a full assessment will be undertaken as part of our Modernising Corporate Reporting programme. This will include consulting on the shareholder safeguards that should accompany the change, including consideration of digital access. This will ensure that fully virtual meetings only take place where shareholders agree, preserving the option for physical or hybrid attendance where it is shareholders’ preferred format.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department will have in place for schools implementing changes to menus under the new School Food Standards before September 2027.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and we have recently consulted on proposed updates to the School Food Standards in England to ensure that all food served at school better reflects current nutritional guidance and support children’s health, wellbeing and learning.
The new School Food Standards will be announced in September 2026 with implementation from September 2027. This will provide schools and caterers sufficient time to plan menus and adapt their supply chains so the changes can be embedded successfully. Additionally, a small number of requirements will be implemented from September 2028 for secondary schools. Over that time, we will continue to engage with schools, caterers and parents to help them prepare for the changes. We will be working with the sector to promote best practice and share different ways in which schools are meeting the new standards.