Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the procurement and contract‑management processes used for the Fuel Finder project; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that public money allocated to this project has been spent effectively and provides value for money.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

A competitive and open tender process was run for Fuel Finder in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and government procurement policies and guidance. Evaluation criteria included quality, technical criteria and total cost.

The Fuel Finder contract is managed in line with the Government Digital Service Standard and is overseen by Departmental project boards, following established governance arrangements and spend assurance processes that apply to all major digital and commercial projects.

All of the above are steps taken to ensure an effective implementation and the project will continue to be reviewed to ensure value for money, minimising and managing costs carefully.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether recruitment agencies are permitted to sponsor Highly Skilled Worker Visas under current immigration rules.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The basis on which UK employers holding a Skilled Worker sponsor licence can sponsor skilled workers to come to the UK is set out in the relevant Sponsor Guidance. This can be found on Gov.uk at: Sponsorship: guidance for employers and educators - GOV.UK

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under what mechanisms is InterMarine able to sponsor Highly Skilled Worker Visas .

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The basis on which UK employers holding a Skilled Worker sponsor licence can sponsor skilled workers to come to the UK is set out in the relevant Sponsor Guidance. This can be found on Gov.uk at: Sponsorship: guidance for employers and educators - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of State Pension age changes on 1950s-born women living in Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West constituency.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age.

Estimates can be made using ONS 2021 Census Data on how many women born in the 1950s resided in each constituency in that year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Statement UIN HCWS1044 on 11 November 2025, what procedures and circumstances led to the 2007 research report not being provided to his predecessor.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Secretary of State announced in his oral statement of 11 November 2025 that we will retake the decision made in December 2024 as it relates to the communications on State Pension age.

This was because findings from a 2007 report had not been drawn to the attention of the previous Secretary of State as its potential relevance to the making of her decision was not evident at the time.

The process to retake the decision is underway and it is important that we give this full and proper consideration. Retaking the decision should not be taken as an indication that Government will necessarily decide that it should award financial redress. We will update Parliament on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached and on 2 December 2025 we committed to re-take the decision within three months.

Found: Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA Switchboard: 0300 123 3000 or 020 7981 3000 www.ofcom.org.uk Dame Chi Onwurah

Found: With best wishes, Dame Chi Onwurah MP Chair – Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Found: With best wishes, Dame Chi Onwurah MP Chair – Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Found: Technology 100 Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ www.gov.uk/dsit 18 December 2025 Dame Chi Onwurah

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Chi Onwurah (Chair); George Freeman; Dr Allison Gardner; Kit

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Chi Onwurah (Chair); George Freeman; Dr Allison Gardner; Kit

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Chi Onwurah (Chair); George Freeman; Dr Allison Gardner; Kit

Found: society/2025/oct/28/hmrc-cuts-child-benefit-for-35000-families-based-on- incomplete-travel-data 2Dame Chi Onwurah

Found: 12th December 2025 Dame Chi Onwurah MP Chair, Science, Innovation and Technology Committee House of

Found: Science, Innovation & Technology 22-26 Whitehall London, SW1A 2EG www.gov.uk/dsit Dame Chi Onwurah

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Chi Onwurah (Chair); Emily Darlington; Dr Allison Gardner; Kit

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Chi Onwurah (Chair); Emily Darlington; Dr Allison Gardner; Kit

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Chi Onwurah (Chair); Emily Darlington; Dr Allison Gardner; Kit

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Chi Onwurah (Chair); Emily Darlington; Dr Allison Gardner; Kit