Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, further to the answer to UIN 92453 of 21 November 2025, what further assessment will be made of the Disability Confident scheme, and what action will be taken to assess employees and applicants experiences as part of this process.

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

On 15 January 2026 I announced more details about the reforms to the Disability Confident Scheme.

Proposed changes include:

• Reducing membership duration at Level 1 from three years to two and removing the option to renew at this level to drive progression through the scheme.
• Introducing tailored guidance and proportionate evidence requirements so smaller businesses can participate fully and confidently.
• Expanding peer‑to‑peer support, shared learning, and practical resources to help employers make the most of the scheme.
• Ensuring disabled people’s voices shape scheme guidance and development.

We are planning a proportionate assessment of the different strands of the upcoming reforms: this is likely to include qualitative interviews to get insights from employers and employees, conducting short surveys, and gathering feedback on specific processes and products to iteratively improve and adapt.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the contribution made to the social and charitable sectors by volunteers on the Charity Worker Visa route.

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

The Home Office values the contribution made by volunteers on the Charity Worker visa route to the social and charitable sectors, though no formal assessment has been carried out. All visa routes are kept under regular review to ensure they are operating as intended.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Charity Worker Visa applications have been granted in each year of the operation of that visa route.

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

The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas by visa route, including Charity Worker visas, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’.

Data on the outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the detailed entry clearance visas dataset.

Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data is from January 2005 up to the end of September 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the adequacy of the VAT exemption on mobility devices.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government recognises the importance of ensuring disabled people are supported in meeting the additional costs of disability, which is why VAT is relieved on certain equipment and appliances designed solely for their use, including wheelchairs, certain motorised wheelchairs and mobility scooters, and other mobility aids.

VAT Notice 701/7 - Reliefs from VAT for disabled and older people sets out which goods and services for disabled people are zero-rated for VAT, and which mobility aids for people aged 60 or over are reduced-rated (subject to VAT at a rate of 5%).

While all taxes are kept under review, there are no current plans to change the VAT treatment of these goods.

Billy Bremner Raploch statue

Found: Chesham and Amersham) Sarah Hall (Labour; Warrington South) Lloyd Hatton (Labour; South Dorset) Chris Kane

Found: Chris Kane—you have been very patient. Q117 Chris Kane: Simon, can I ask you a quick question?

Found: Chesham and Amersham) Sarah Hall (Labour; Warrington South) Lloyd Hatton (Labour; South Dorset) Chris Kane

Found: present: Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Chair); Mr Clive Betts; Anna Dixon; Sarah Green; Sarah Hall; Chris Kane

Found: Chesham and Amersham) Sarah Hall (Labour; Warrington South) Lloyd Hatton (Labour; South Dorset) Chris Kane

Found: Chesham and Amersham) Sarah Hall (Labour; Warrington South) Lloyd Hatton (Labour; South Dorset) Chris Kane