Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent changes to DBS filtering rules on the disclosure of historic convictions on Standard DBS checks; what safeguards exist to prevent disproportionate disclosure affecting access to employment; and whether she plans to review the filtering rules to reduce the likelihood of very old convictions reappearing on Standard checks.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Employers can only request higher‑level checks from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) where the role meets the eligibility criteria set out in legislation. Standard checks are available only for positions listed in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, and access to enhanced checks requires inclusion in both the Exceptions Order and the Police Act 1997 regulations.
Applications for standard and enhanced checks must be submitted to the DBS via Registered Bodies (RBs) who play a key part in identifying the correct level of check for individual job roles. The DBS invests substantial resources into supporting the work of RBs and carries out routine assurance exercises with all RBs on a rolling basis.
When this process identifies non-compliance, the DBS sets deadlines for corrective actions and monitors progress. Over the past two years, all RBs have demonstrated compliance within required timescales, and no suspensions or deregistrations have been necessary. If non-compliance were to persist, the DBS would consider sanctions against the RB, including suspending individual signatories or the RB as a whole.
The DBS also provides a growing level of support to service-users to promote improved understanding of eligibility and the purposes for which checks may be used.
The Government keeps filtering rules and eligibility under continuous review. On 2 December 2025, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that the Government will consider opportunities to simplify the criminal records regime to ensure it is clear and proportionate, particularly in relation to childhood offences. The Home Office and Ministry of Justice are working together to consider next steps.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of enforcement of the requirement that the level of DBS checks must be proportionate to the role; what steps she is taking to strengthen compliance and enforcement; and whether she plans to introduce additional (a) powers, (b) guidance and (c) penalties to prevent inappropriate requests for higher-level checks.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Employers can only request higher‑level checks from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) where the role meets the eligibility criteria set out in legislation. Standard checks are available only for positions listed in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, and access to enhanced checks requires inclusion in both the Exceptions Order and the Police Act 1997 regulations.
Applications for standard and enhanced checks must be submitted to the DBS via Registered Bodies (RBs) who play a key part in identifying the correct level of check for individual job roles. The DBS invests substantial resources into supporting the work of RBs and carries out routine assurance exercises with all RBs on a rolling basis.
When this process identifies non-compliance, the DBS sets deadlines for corrective actions and monitors progress. Over the past two years, all RBs have demonstrated compliance within required timescales, and no suspensions or deregistrations have been necessary. If non-compliance were to persist, the DBS would consider sanctions against the RB, including suspending individual signatories or the RB as a whole.
The DBS also provides a growing level of support to service-users to promote improved understanding of eligibility and the purposes for which checks may be used.
The Government keeps filtering rules and eligibility under continuous review. On 2 December 2025, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that the Government will consider opportunities to simplify the criminal records regime to ensure it is clear and proportionate, particularly in relation to childhood offences. The Home Office and Ministry of Justice are working together to consider next steps.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent employers from requesting Standard or Enhanced DBS checks where a basic check would be sufficient; what assessment her Department has made of the grounds on which higher-level checks are requested; and what steps her Department is taking where employers are routinely requesting a higher level of check than is required for a role.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Employers can only request higher‑level checks from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) where the role meets the eligibility criteria set out in legislation. Standard checks are available only for positions listed in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, and access to enhanced checks requires inclusion in both the Exceptions Order and the Police Act 1997 regulations.
Applications for standard and enhanced checks must be submitted to the DBS via Registered Bodies (RBs) who play a key part in identifying the correct level of check for individual job roles. The DBS invests substantial resources into supporting the work of RBs and carries out routine assurance exercises with all RBs on a rolling basis.
When this process identifies non-compliance, the DBS sets deadlines for corrective actions and monitors progress. Over the past two years, all RBs have demonstrated compliance within required timescales, and no suspensions or deregistrations have been necessary. If non-compliance were to persist, the DBS would consider sanctions against the RB, including suspending individual signatories or the RB as a whole.
The DBS also provides a growing level of support to service-users to promote improved understanding of eligibility and the purposes for which checks may be used.
The Government keeps filtering rules and eligibility under continuous review. On 2 December 2025, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that the Government will consider opportunities to simplify the criminal records regime to ensure it is clear and proportionate, particularly in relation to childhood offences. The Home Office and Ministry of Justice are working together to consider next steps.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how long does it take to restore the state pension once a prisoner is released.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
State Pension and Pension Credit payments are suspended immediately when the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is notified by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) that an individual has entered custody for a criminal offence.
A citizen who has served a criminal offence must inform DWP of their release to enable DWP to reinstate their payments. Upon receiving notification from the citizen, reinstatement of State Pension and Pension Credit is usually completed instantaneously. The timing of their first payment will depend upon their regular payment cycle, which is usually 4-weekly but can be changed to weekly upon request.
Of the c13 million citizens receiving State Pension, around 1,400 citizens per annum are subject to suspension of their payments due to imprisonment. In 2025, there were 1,415 State Pension and Pension Credit related cases suspended.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners are affected by the stopping of the state pension on imprisonment.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
State Pension and Pension Credit payments are suspended immediately when the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is notified by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) that an individual has entered custody for a criminal offence.
A citizen who has served a criminal offence must inform DWP of their release to enable DWP to reinstate their payments. Upon receiving notification from the citizen, reinstatement of State Pension and Pension Credit is usually completed instantaneously. The timing of their first payment will depend upon their regular payment cycle, which is usually 4-weekly but can be changed to weekly upon request.
Of the c13 million citizens receiving State Pension, around 1,400 citizens per annum are subject to suspension of their payments due to imprisonment. In 2025, there were 1,415 State Pension and Pension Credit related cases suspended.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the stopping of a state pension is automatic on imprisonment but reinstatement on release is not.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
State Pension and Pension Credit payments are suspended immediately when the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is notified by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) that an individual has entered custody for a criminal offence.
A citizen who has served a criminal offence must inform DWP of their release to enable DWP to reinstate their payments. Upon receiving notification from the citizen, reinstatement of State Pension and Pension Credit is usually completed instantaneously. The timing of their first payment will depend upon their regular payment cycle, which is usually 4-weekly but can be changed to weekly upon request.
Of the c13 million citizens receiving State Pension, around 1,400 citizens per annum are subject to suspension of their payments due to imprisonment. In 2025, there were 1,415 State Pension and Pension Credit related cases suspended.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Music and Dance Scheme Schools on the performing arts sector.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This government is committed to broadening access to arts education, including specialist training for our most promising musicians and dancers irrespective of their personal or financial background through the Music and Dance Scheme. The scheme supports the Creative Industries Sector Plan commitment to increase access to quality specialist creative education provision across England to strengthen our cadre of highly trained young musicians, dancers and performing artists.
My department works closely with the Department for Education who continues to fund the scheme, providing means-tested support to over 2,000 students from lower-income families. The Department for Education currently provides £36.5 million for the MDS this academic year and future funding will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she has taken with the Secretary of State for Education to secure an uplift in funding for the Music and Dance Scheme Schools.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This government is committed to broadening access to arts education, including specialist training for our most promising musicians and dancers irrespective of their personal or financial background through the Music and Dance Scheme. The scheme supports the Creative Industries Sector Plan commitment to increase access to quality specialist creative education provision across England to strengthen our cadre of highly trained young musicians, dancers and performing artists.
My department works closely with the Department for Education who continues to fund the scheme, providing means-tested support to over 2,000 students from lower-income families. The Department for Education currently provides £36.5 million for the MDS this academic year and future funding will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many heritage assets are recorded as being at risk of neglect or dereliction in England; and what assessment they have made of the adequacy of apprenticeship and training provision to support the repair and conservation of historic buildings and other heritage assets.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register, last published on 6 November 2025, identified 4,891 heritage assets at risk in England. The register identifies designated sites that are most at risk of being lost as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development. More information can be found on Historic England’s website: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/buildings-at-risk/.
While no assessment has been made of the adequacy of apprenticeship and training provisions to support the repair and conservation of heritage, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working with the heritage sector to utilise the government’s investment in skills education to grow the workforce. We are engaging with the Department for Education and Skills England to ensure heritage skills are recognised and developed. Through the fully funded SME apprenticeships for under-25s, we are giving smaller heritage organisations the opportunity to deliver flexible, affordable apprenticeships in heritage skills and conservation.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of visitors there were to sites owned by Historic England by age group in 2025.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DCMS does not hold data on the number of visitors to sites owned by Historic England. The National Heritage Collection, operated by English Heritage Trust, comprises more than 400 historic sites and monuments, and the majority of these are free to enter. As some of these sites are not staffed on a day-to-day basis, English Heritage are unable to collect complete data on visitors to these sites by age group.