Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme available to all veterans.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 30 October 2024, to Question 10637.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what number and proportion of pupils in (a) state and (b) independent schools had access arrangements for extra time during (i) GCSEs and (ii) A-Levels in the summer exams 2024.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to the hon. Member directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps to provide financial support to people to make deposit payments on wheelchair accessible vehicles.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions are responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme. The Scheme is operated by the Motability Foundation.
Should an individual choose to join the Motability Scheme, then Scheme customers can apply to Motability Foundation for a means tested grant that can help towards the cost of an advance payment on a vehicle including wheelchair accessible vehicles.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Section 51 of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, what steps his Department has taken to help British Overseas Territories establish a publicly accessible register of the beneficial ownership of companies registered in their jurisdiction.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO has funded an expert NGO, Open Ownership, to provide technical assistance to Overseas Territory governments to establish publicly accessible registers of beneficial ownership (PARBO). The UK Government has also provided legal drafting assistance to some OTs and funding to Montserrat for costs associated with implementing their publicly accessible register. I have written to all OT Leaders and Governors including in person meetings over the last few days with the Governments in Anguilla and BVI, setting out my expectations of urgent progress. I was delighted Montserrat launched their PARBO on 11 October.
Since 2023, the UK has held several technical workshops on beneficial ownership with Overseas Territories. The most recent on 31 October 2024, following discussions between officials at the 'UK-OT Illicit Finance Dialogue' held on 07-09 October.
I look forward to further discussions at the Joint Ministerial Council in late November, where this will feature on the agenda.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the McCloud remedy is implemented for affected NHS workers by April 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is implementing the McCloud remedy for impacted members of the NHS Pension Scheme. Remedy implementation is a complex and large-scale undertaking. The core element of the remedy will provide members with a choice of benefits at retirement for the period the discrimination identified by the McCloud judgment was effective. Approximately 350,000 retired members will be offered this choice retrospectively.
The Department expects that the majority of impacted retired members will not receive their choice until after April 2025.Whilst the majority of impacted retired members are likely to already be in receipt of their most beneficial set of benefits, the Department is working with the NHSBSA to accelerate the provision of this choice, particularly for members for whom there would be an immediate financial impact. The NHSBSA will communicate revised timelines with members once these are confirmed.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will conduct a review into apprenticeships that includes taking representations from existing functional skills teachers.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department keeps all aspects of apprenticeships policy under review, including the English and mathematics requirements, to make sure it is striking the right balance in equipping apprentices with the right skills, without putting up unnecessary barriers to starting or completing an apprenticeship.
More widely, the government will be transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, which will offer greater flexibility to employers and learners and align with the government’s Industrial Strategy. Skills England will be working closely with employers, training providers, unions and other key partners to identify priority skills gaps, helping to ensure that levy-funded training delivers value for money, meets the needs of business and helps kick start economic growth. Details on Skills England engagement plans will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme to all veterans.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence runs two main active no-fault compensation schemes:
The AFCS provides compensation for injury or illness caused or made worse by Service; or death caused by Service from 6 April 2005. Claims before 6 April 2005 are made under the WPS and provides compensation and supplementary allowances for disablement or death due to injury. There is a long-standing principle of not making retrospective changes to Government Pension Schemes. This principle ensures the long-term sustainability and affordability of these schemes.
Both schemes have and are already open to all veterans where sickness or injury has arisen due to their Service. There are no plans to extend the scheme to all veterans whose injury or illness was not due to their Service, and which may have happened under other circumstances. The AFCS continues to be independently reviewed every five years to ensure it remains fit for purpose – a process known as the Quinquennial Review, led by an independent, external reviewer.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support the financial sustainability of community pharmacies.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. Previous plans did not go far enough. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists.
The consultation with Community Pharmacy England on the national funding and contractual framework arrangements for 2024/25 has not yet been concluded, and we are looking into this as a matter of urgency.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to ring-fence Business Asset Disposal Relief in the upcoming Budget.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Autumn Budget, the government announced that it would maintain Business Asset Disposal Relief, with its £1 million lifetime limit. The Chancellor also announced that the Capital Gains Tax rate for Business Asset Disposal Relief will increase from 10% to 14% from 6 April 2025, and will increase again to match the lower main rate at 18% from 6 April 2026.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to increase statute of limitations to 20 years for faulty medical devices.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Consumer Protection Act, which contains our product liability legislation, has been in place since 1987 and my department is indeed undertaking a review of it, during which we will consider all aspects, including those claim limits my Honourable friend mentions. Following this review, should we believe changes are needed, we will bring forward the necessary primary legislation to ensure our laws remain up to date and fit for the future.