Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many higher education institutions applied for the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education by 24 March 2026; and how many were accepted.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Erasmus Charter for Higher Education applications are currently subject to admissibility and eligibility checks before being evaluated against published award criteria.
We anticipate that the results will be published in September 2026.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the protections available to people in licensed accommodation in respect of (a) unsafe living conditions, including damp and mould, and (b) disputed utility charges; and whether he plans to improve enforcement mechanisms for such cases.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All renters, regardless of tenure or agreement type, deserve to live in safe and secure homes.
Those with a licence to occupy accommodation are protected from eviction and harassment and have a right to report health and safety concerns about their property to the local authority.
A landlord may include an amount in the rent to cover the cost of utilities that a licensee uses. A landlord may also record the occupier’s consumption and recharge them for it. Where utilities are resold, maximum resale price rules apply (Ofwat’s for water and Ofgem’s for gas and electricity), unless the charge is included in the rent for the accommodation.
In October 2025, Ofgem issued a call for input on Reselling Gas and Electricity to assess whether current arrangements under the Maximum Resale Price provisions remain fit for purpose. It can be found here. Ofgem is considering the responses received and aims to publish a policy consultation on proposed changes in the summer.
Local authorities already have robust powers to protect people living in accommodation subject to selective or HMO licensing. This includes using licence conditions to help ensure landlords provide safe and well-maintained properties and have suitable management arrangements in place. We keep licensing regulations under review.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing regulations on the charging and transparency of utility costs for people in accommodation occupied under licence agreements.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All renters, regardless of tenure or agreement type, deserve to live in safe and secure homes.
Those with a licence to occupy accommodation are protected from eviction and harassment and have a right to report health and safety concerns about their property to the local authority.
A landlord may include an amount in the rent to cover the cost of utilities that a licensee uses. A landlord may also record the occupier’s consumption and recharge them for it. Where utilities are resold, maximum resale price rules apply (Ofwat’s for water and Ofgem’s for gas and electricity), unless the charge is included in the rent for the accommodation.
In October 2025, Ofgem issued a call for input on Reselling Gas and Electricity to assess whether current arrangements under the Maximum Resale Price provisions remain fit for purpose. It can be found here. Ofgem is considering the responses received and aims to publish a policy consultation on proposed changes in the summer.
Local authorities already have robust powers to protect people living in accommodation subject to selective or HMO licensing. This includes using licence conditions to help ensure landlords provide safe and well-maintained properties and have suitable management arrangements in place. We keep licensing regulations under review.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of protection available to people occupying accommodation under licence agreements.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All renters, regardless of tenure or agreement type, deserve to live in safe and secure homes.
Those with a licence to occupy accommodation are protected from eviction and harassment and have a right to report health and safety concerns about their property to the local authority.
A landlord may include an amount in the rent to cover the cost of utilities that a licensee uses. A landlord may also record the occupier’s consumption and recharge them for it. Where utilities are resold, maximum resale price rules apply (Ofwat’s for water and Ofgem’s for gas and electricity), unless the charge is included in the rent for the accommodation.
In October 2025, Ofgem issued a call for input on Reselling Gas and Electricity to assess whether current arrangements under the Maximum Resale Price provisions remain fit for purpose. It can be found here. Ofgem is considering the responses received and aims to publish a policy consultation on proposed changes in the summer.
Local authorities already have robust powers to protect people living in accommodation subject to selective or HMO licensing. This includes using licence conditions to help ensure landlords provide safe and well-maintained properties and have suitable management arrangements in place. We keep licensing regulations under review.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the causes and scale of delays in the administration of Civil Service pensions following the transfer of the contract to Capita on 1 December 2025.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.
Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.
Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.
To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.
The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what performance metrics are specified in the contract with Capita to administer the civil service pensions scheme; and whether any service credits or penalties have been applied because of service failures.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.
Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.
Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.
To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.
The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what resources Capita has committed to reducing the Civil Service pension processing backlog, including staffing levels and system capacity.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.
Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.
Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.
To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.
The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 114745 on Erasmus+ Programme, what her timeline is on determining the National Agency for Erasmus+.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Work is underway with the British Council ahead of their planned appointment as the UK’s National Agency in Summer/Autumn 2026.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what specific nutritional and processing specifications are included in contracts for the National Breakfast Club programme to help ensure that the £100m+ of annual public spend is not directed toward ultra-processed cereals and breads.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The National School Breakfast Programme is an inherited scheme from the previous government and the contract will end in July 2026. The contract with the supplier, Family Action, stipulates that all food available for schools to purchase must meet the School Food Standards.
The School Food Standards already restricts foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods. However, to ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, we are revising the School Food Standards. We are engaging experts across the sector, such as nutritionists, and are developing our plans to consult on the changes.
This government is committed to delivering a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils in England. Since April 2025, we have funded 750 schools to offer a free breakfast club as early adopters, delivering seven million meals so far. We are moving into national rollout, investing a further £80 million into the programme to fund an additional 2,000 schools between April 2026 and March 2027. Schools delivering free breakfast clubs have autonomy in how they procure their breakfast food, which must meet the School Food Standards.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she will introduce a maximum 5 per cent threshold for ultra-processed foods (Nova Group 4) in the updated School Food Standards, in line with the successful 2025 implementation by the Isle of Man Government; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Chelsea and Fulham to the answer of 7 April 2026 to Question 121632.