Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of automatically exempting armed forces veterans with severe, long-term PTSD from repeat disability assessments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Currently, Work Capability Assessment re-assessments are prioritised for customers on Employment and Support Allowance and the health element of Universal Credit who report a change in their health condition. Routine department-led reassessments are scheduled according to expected prognosis length for recovery and subject to available assessment capacity.
Individuals who have Limited Capability for Work- and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA), with the most severe and lifelong health conditions or disabilities, whose level of function means that they will always have LCWRA and are unlikely ever to be able to move into work, are not routinely reassessed.
Our wide-ranging package of reforms to health and disability benefits, set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, will improve experiences of the system for those who need it. The functional impact and severity of a condition can significantly vary across individuals, which is why we will continue to ensure that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who will never be able to work, will not need to be reassessed.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory veteran-aware training for benefit assessors.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I have interpreted your question to refer to health professionals (HPs) who conduct Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments and Work Capability Assessments (WCA) for our assessment suppliers on behalf of the department, and not Department for Work and Pensions decision makers who make decisions on entitlement to benefit.
The Functional Assessment Service contracts require assessment suppliers to act in a manner supportive of the Armed Forces Covenant, to ensure the fair treatment of veterans and their families.
PIP assessments and WCAs are not medical consultations and do not require HPs to diagnose conditions or recommend treatment. Instead, they are functional assessments designed to evaluate how an individual’s health conditions or impairments affect their ability to carry out daily living activities and/or their capability for work.
HPs conducting assessments are trained specialists in disability analysis. Their focus is on understanding the functional impact of a claimant’s condition, rather than its clinical diagnosis. All HPs receive specific training on assessing the effects of mental health conditions and are supported by Mental Health Function Champions (MHFCs). MHFCs are experienced professionals with relevant expertise in mental health, cognitive, developmental, and learning disabilities. They are available to provide advice and support throughout the assessment process.
Additionally, HPs have access to Condition Insight Reports and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) guides. These resources offer detailed clinical and functional information on a range of conditions, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, to support HPs in delivering informed assessments.
Furthermore, within the WCA core training and guidance material (CTGM) there is a CPD module titled ‘life post miliary service’. While this does not currently form part of the PIP CTGM, we do intend to make this available across the benefit strands.
On 25 June, I attended an online event with veterans, as one of the series of consultation events on the proposals in the Pathways to Work Green Paper.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on updating the Welsh Fiscal Framework.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The UK and Welsh Governments have regular discussions on the delivery funding arrangements, including the Fiscal Framework.
We remain committed to working in partnership with the Welsh Government to ensure the Fiscal Framework continues to deliver value for money while upholding our shared commitment to fiscal responsibility.
As set out in the Welsh Government Fiscal Framework agreed in 2016, a full review is triggered if the Welsh Government’s relative funding falls below 115% of equivalent UK Government spending per head in the rest of the UK.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions her Department has had with disabled people’s organisations in Wales on the proposed reforms to disability benefits.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of our commitment to hear from members of the public directly, including disabled people and their representatives, we have now held a number of virtual and in person public consultation events, as per the advertised schedule on GOV.UK.
Unfortunately, the Cardiff in person event was postponed from 3 June to 23 June, due to the venue cancelling last minute. We have worked with the Welsh Government to rearrange this event and have reached out to all registered participants directly, including registered members of the public and registered representatives from Welsh charities and other organisations, to rebook their place on a re-scheduled Cardiff event, also offering a priority space on other virtual events. A Wales-only virtual consultation event has now also been arranged and scheduled for 26 June.
Throughout the consultation we are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do. We encourage members of the public, including disabled people’s organisations in Wales, to continue to respond to the consultation online, in writing and via email until the deadline on 30 June.
In the meantime, DWP Ministers continue to engage with individuals and groups in Wales. On 22 April, the Minister for Employment visited Denbighshire in North Wales to announce the launch of the Inactivity Trailblazer, as part of wider efforts to tackle inactivity - with funding from the £125m (in for 2025/26) announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper being designated to this area. The Minister for Employment also visited Mold Jobcentre during this visit to Wales.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the National Telecare Campaign is delivered bilingually in (a) English and (b) Welsh across all platforms.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government supports the industry-led National Telecare Campaign. The objective of this campaign is to identify telecare users so that they can receive additional support when their landlines are upgraded from analogue to digital.
It is important for the campaign to reach vulnerable customers across the UK, which is why the campaign is being delivered bilingually. In Wales, a TV advert is being broadcast on ITV Wales in English with Welsh subtitles, as well as in Welsh on Welsh community radio. A combination of English and Welsh, as well as Welsh-only content, is being used for printed adverts and video on demand.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department classifies heavy rail projects located entirely within England as (a) local and (b) national projects.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK Government is responsible for heavy rail infrastructure across England and Wales so spends money on this in Wales rather than funding the Welsh Government to do so through the Barnett formula. This approach applies to investment in heavy rail by the Department for Transport, including HS2 and East-West Rail, and is consistent with the funding arrangements for all other policy areas reserved in Wales as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has received representations from the Welsh Government requesting that the East-West rail project be reclassified as an England only project.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There have been no formal representations from the Welsh Government on this matter.
The UK Government is responsible for heavy rail infrastructure across England and Wales so spends money on this in Wales rather than funding the Welsh Government to do so through the Barnett formula. This approach applies to investment in heavy rail by the Department for Transport, including HS2 and East-West Rail, and is consistent with the funding arrangements for all other policy areas reserved in Wales as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of civil legal aid providers in rural areas; and what steps she is taking to help reduce gaps in legal aid provision.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
It is vital that those who need legal aid – some of the most vulnerable people in our society – can access it wherever they happen to live.
The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for commissioning legal aid services in England and Wales. The LAA monitors the numbers of providers in each procurement area and across all categories of law. It takes operational action where it can, to respond to market pressures that may arise and works closely with the Ministry of Justice on policy solutions concerning the supply of legal aid.
The Ministry of Justice has recently concluded a consultation on uplifts to housing & debt and immigration & asylum legal aid fees, which, once fully implemented, would inject an additional £20 million into the sector each year.
The Department is also providing over £6 million of legal support grant funding up to March 2026 to deliver free legal support and advice for people with social welfare legal problems. This includes the ‘Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support’ grant, which supports the work of organisations across England and Wales to sustain and improve access to early legal support and advice, including support at court. It also includes the ‘Online Support and AdviceGrant’, which ensures the provision of online support across a range of civil, family and tribunal problems via one service (Advicenow). The Advicenow website includes information about how to get legal aid in relevant areas of law and signposts users to further information and support.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 48499 on Revenue and Customs, whether her Department plans to publish the minutes of the 2024 meeting of the Statutory Payment Consultation Group.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Minutes of the Statutory Payments Consultation Group meeting held on 30th January 2024 will be published before the Autumn. A date has not been set for a future meeting of the group.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 48499 on Revenue and Customs, when HMRC's Statutory Payment Consultation Group will next be convened.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Minutes of the Statutory Payments Consultation Group meeting held on 30th January 2024 will be published before the Autumn. A date has not been set for a future meeting of the group.