Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to fund accessibility improvements at train stations.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since its launch in 2006, the Access for All programme has delivered step free upgrades at more than 260 station across Britain. The government is committed to continuing to improve the accessibility of the railway.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to prevent the Rural Payments Agency's planned cancellation of payments under the SAM3: herbal leys scheme .
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) have identified that a number of customers have included actions within their Sustainable Farming Incentive agreement that may not be allowed under the scheme rules and as clearly set out in the customer guidance. These cases have been identified through eligibility checks carried out and the RPA are working through these.
The RPA is conscious of the impact delay to payments may have and are contacting affected customers as required to resolve this and ensure any payments due can be made as soon as possible.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of ending payments from the SAM3: herbal leys scheme on farmers.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) have identified that a number of customers have included actions within their Sustainable Farming Incentive agreement that may not be allowed under the scheme rules and as clearly set out in the customer guidance. These cases have been identified through eligibility checks carried out and the RPA are working through these.
The RPA is conscious of the impact delay to payments may have and are contacting affected customers as required to resolve this and ensure any payments due can be made as soon as possible.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether existing Personal Independence Payment claimants of pension age who request a change of circumstances review from November 2026 will be required to score at least four points in one daily living activity in order to (a) maintain and (b) increase the daily living element of the benefit.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In the Pathways to Work Green Paper we announced that we will introduce a new eligibility requirement to ensure that only those who score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity will be eligible for the daily living component of PIP. This requirement will need to be met in addition to the existing PIP eligibility criteria.
Our intention is that the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.
In keeping with existing policy, people of state pension age are not routinely fully reviewed and will not be affected by these changes.
All claimants are required to notify the Department of any change to their circumstance, be that an improvement or deterioration in their needs. Upon notification of a change, a Case Manager will consider what further action might be required to ensure the claimant is receiving the correct level of support.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether existing Personal Independence Payment claimants of pension age with a planned award review from November 2026 will be required to score at least four points in one daily living activity in order to maintain their award.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In the Pathways to Work Green Paper we announced that we will introduce a new eligibility requirement to ensure that only those who score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity will be eligible for the daily living component of PIP. This requirement will need to be met in addition to the existing PIP eligibility criteria.
Our intention is that the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.
In keeping with existing policy, people of state pension age are not routinely fully reviewed and will not be affected by these changes.
All claimants are required to notify the Department of any change to their circumstance, be that an improvement or deterioration in their needs. Upon notification of a change, a Case Manager will consider what further action might be required to ensure the claimant is receiving the correct level of support.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help protect (a) farming and (b) food production sites from illegal drone flying by vegan activists.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office, working closely with policing, has built a national counter-drone capability to equip police with the capabilities they need to detect and mitigate the illegal or malicious use of drones. These capabilities comprise a range of specialist equipment, vehicles, and personnel to ensure a flexible and effective response across UK policing to any potential drone-related incident.
The public should report any suspicious drone activity by calling 101. They should explain the situation to the call handler, identifying the time and location of the drone. In an emergency, the public should call 999.
Flying a drone safely and within regulations by an appropriately registered pilot is legal in the UK. The Drone and Model Aircraft Code, which gives guidance on the circumstances in which drone flying is and is not illegal, is available from the Civil Aviation Authority’s website.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment on the effectiveness of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate since it removed the ability to submit reports online.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The provision of a Web reporting route for suspected adverse event cases to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is not mandatory and, therefore, its suspension does not affect the VMD’s approach to assessment.
Reporting of adverse events continues directly through the adverse.events@vmd.gov.uk mailbox for non-authorised veterinary medicinal products or for authorised products should the reporter be unable to report directly to the Marketing Authorisation Holder.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings her Ministers have held with (a) religious or faith-based bodies and (b) their representatives on the proposed duty to report child abuse legislation in the Crime and Policing Bill.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Ministers have met with a number of interested Parliamentarians to discuss clauses 45-54 of the Crime and Policing Bill, including a member of the Lords Spiritual. We will continue to engage with faith groups that and other organisations to help them manage the implementation of the new duty.
The duty will apply to individuals undertaking relevant activity with children, including in religious and faith-based settings. There are no exceptions made within the law on the basis of how and where disclosures are received.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the proposed duty to report child abuse in the Crime and Policing Bill would apply to disclosures made in religious confessionals.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Ministers have met with a number of interested Parliamentarians to discuss clauses 45-54 of the Crime and Policing Bill, including a member of the Lords Spiritual. We will continue to engage with faith groups that and other organisations to help them manage the implementation of the new duty.
The duty will apply to individuals undertaking relevant activity with children, including in religious and faith-based settings. There are no exceptions made within the law on the basis of how and where disclosures are received.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the proposed duty to report child abuse in the Crime and Policing Bill would apply to all (a) religious and (b) faith-based bodies.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Ministers have met with a number of interested Parliamentarians to discuss clauses 45-54 of the Crime and Policing Bill, including a member of the Lords Spiritual. We will continue to engage with faith groups that and other organisations to help them manage the implementation of the new duty.
The duty will apply to individuals undertaking relevant activity with children, including in religious and faith-based settings. There are no exceptions made within the law on the basis of how and where disclosures are received.