Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of financial support available to unpaid carers in Bedfordshire.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Unpaid carers play a vital role in supporting elderly or disabled relatives or friends. Sometimes unpaid carers will need to turn to the benefit system for financial support, so it is right that we keep Carer’s Allowance under review, to see if it is meeting its objectives, and giving unpaid carers the help and support they need and deserve.

Unpaid carers may be able to receive financial and/or employment support from the department depending on their circumstances. Carer’s Allowance provides a measure of financial support and recognition for people who are not able to work full time due to their caring responsibilities. The rate of Carer’s Allowance is £81.90 a week in 2024/25, and from April 2025 this will increase by 1.7% to £83.30 a week, net of allowable expenses.

Spending on Carer’s Allowance in the mid-Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency in 2023/4 was £3.6 million. 912 people in mid-Bedfordshire were in receipt of Carer’s Allowance in May ’24.

In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Currently, the Universal Credit carer element is £198.31 per monthly assessment period. The additional amount for a carer in Pension Credit is £45.60 a week. These additional amounts are worth around £2400 a year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to help the automotive industry meet the 2030 phase-out date for petrol and diesel cars.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We will continue to support industry and consumers to make the switch to zero emission vehicles, with over £300 million announced in the Budget to drive uptake of electric vehicles and £2 billion to support the transition of domestic manufacturing and supply chain.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had discussions with Stellantis on the phase-out timeline for petrol and diesel cars.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Secretary of State met Stellantis on multiple occasions throughout the summer and more recently in relation to its manufacturing presence in the UK. The Department has close engagement with the vehicle industry and engages regularly on topics including the transition to zero emission vehicles.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to take steps to help Luton Borough Council secure the long-term future of employment at the Stellantis Vauxhall site in Luton.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Stellantis announced on 26 November that it was starting a consultation with staff on its plans to consolidate its two UK manufacturing sites into one plant at Ellesmere Port.

The Department is actively engaging with the company and has asked them to share the full details of its plans, including for the future for the site.

We will continue to work closely with Stellantis, as well as trade unions and Luton Borough Council on the next steps of their proposals.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he had discussions with Stellantis prior to the announcement of the closure of the Vauxhall site in Luton.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Secretary of State has been in contact with Stellantis since July to discuss the pressures in their UK and global business and the future of the Luton plant.

He met them again on 26 November where they regrettably shared their proposals to consult on the closure Luton and consolidation at Ellesmere Port.

We know this will be a concerning time for the families of employees at Luton who may be affected, and we will continue to work closely with Stellantis, as well as trade unions and Luton Borough Council on the next steps of their proposals and how the impact on employees affected and the local area.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will make an assessment of the impact of the closure of the Stellantis Vauxhall site in Luton on the economy of (a) Luton Borough and (b) Bedfordshire.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Stellantis announced on 26 November that it was starting a consultation with staff at its Luton plant on its plans for the future of its manufacturing there.

The Department is actively engaging with the company and has asked them to share the full details of its plans, including the site.

We will continue to work closely with Stellantis, trade unions and Luton Borough Council to understand the impact of their proposals on the economy of Luton and Bedfordshire.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ask local authorities to improve signposting of support groups for unpaid carers.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. It is for local authorities to decide how best to support their local population, including how they signpost unpaid carers to support groups.

The Government recognises the scale of the reforms needed in social care. That is why we will set out next steps for a process that engages with adult social care stakeholders, including cross-party and unpaid carers, to ensure their voices are heard as we develop plans to create a National Care Service.

Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service is clear that a fresh approach to supporting and involving unpaid carers is required to improve outcomes for carers, people needing care, and the NHS.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help tackle dangerous driving in rural areas.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Any form of dangerous driving is a serious road safety issue. Dangerous driving is the offence of driving far below the standard that would be expected of a careful and competent driver. The maximum sentence for dangerous driving is an unlimited fine, disqualification and up to 14 years in prison.

How the police enforce road traffic legislation and investigate road traffic offences is an operational matter for the local chief officer, in conjunction with Police and Crime Commissioners.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of delayed services on the Bedford Line in (a) Q3 and (b) Q4 2024.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Information relating to the number of delayed services on the Bedford line is not held by the department. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes quarterly statistics on punctuality and reliability for passenger trains in Great Britain at: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/. Table 3133 shows Train punctuality at recorded station stops by operator in Great Britain, quarterly from April 2014 to June 2024. The operators servicing the Bedford line are Govia Thameslink Railway and the East Midlands Railway.

Ministers have been clear that rail services have been failing passengers. Cancellations are at a ten-year high and punctuality is inconsistent across the network. We need to improve services for passengers and deliver better value for money for the taxpayer.

Ministers continue to meet with the Managing Directors of the worst performing TOCs and their Network Rail counterparts, to address poor performance and demand immediate action to raise standards.

No description available

The Environmental Audit Committee in the 2024 Parliament has revived the predecessor Environmental Audit Sub-Committee on Polar Research’s inquiry into The UK and the Antarctic Environment.

Submit Evidence (by 13 Jan 2025)

The Environmental Audit Committee is undertaking an inquiry on flood resilience in England, focusing on how flood resilience can be strengthened in response to increasing risks from extreme weather, rising sea levels, and evolving flood hazards.

Submit Evidence (by 17 Jan 2025)

The Environmental Audit Committee is undertaking an inquiry on governing the marine environment, which will focus on the UK's environmental obligations under marine treaties and how the UK is delivering on them, as well as the Government's strategy for marine planning and protection in its domestic waters.