Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what has been the cost to his Department of assessing claims under the Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme in each of the last four years for which information is available.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will publish the details of the 12 asbestos incidents in the Palace of Westminster to which reference is made on page 25 of the report entitled Delivering restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster: the costed proposals, published on 5 February 2026.

Answered by Nick Smith

The table below outlines the twelve asbestos related incidents since 2016 which have occurred in the Palace, as outlined on page 25 of the R&R Costed Proposals Report.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what works are currently being undertaken to remove or isolate asbestos in the Palace of Westminster; and how many operatives are engaged in those works.

Answered by Nick Smith

Over the last 12 months, a total of 40 tasks has been carried out by the Licensed Asbestos Removal Contractor within the Palace of Westminster to seal, encapsulate, or remove asbestos containing materials.

Asbestos removal will take place as part of maintenance and project works:

1. Where asbestos presents safety risks to delivery of project works.

2. Where asbestos is likely to result in risks in relation to ongoing maintenance and business as usual activities.

3. Where asbestos has been identified by a risk assessment to require removal due to the level of risk to building occupants.

The House Administration employs an Asbestos Compliance Manager who oversees asbestos surveys and removal activities and provides specialist advice to maintenance and project teams across the Estate.

The House Administration also holds contracts with an asbestos consultancy, which maintains three permanent site‑based staff to undertake surveys and inspections, and with a Licensed Asbestos Removal Contractor, which provides two permanent site‑based staff to manage asbestos removal and remediation works required for maintenance and construction projects.

Where a section of the Estate is temporarily handed over to a contractor as a controlled construction zone with restricted access, they may use their own licensed asbestos teams. They are required to liaise with the Asbestos Compliance Manager and, once the area is handed back, ensure all asbestos removal activity is fully logged.

The number of staff deployed by these contractors varies according to operational requirements, including during recess periods when asbestos removal works are more frequently scheduled.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the current estimate of the time for resolution of applications for visas under the family route.

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

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, including service standards for processing visa applications.

All family visa applications are carefully considered in line with the published family visa processing times available here: Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK. Where applicants require their application to be expedited owing to their individual compelling and compassionate circumstances, we will consider each case on its own merit.

Applicants on certain family routes may choose to use optional priority or super priority services, where available, for an additional fee to receive a faster decision on their application. Applicants using the priority service will usually receive a decision within five working days.

Further information on the priority service is available here: Get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application: Applying for a faster decision - GOV.UK.

Found: Asser (Labour; West Ham and Beckton) Bambos Charalambous (Labour; Southgate and Wood Green) Sir Christopher Chope

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bill Esterson (Chair); Ms Polly Billington; Sir Christopher Chope

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bill Esterson (Chair); Ms Polly Billington; Sir Christopher Chope

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bill Esterson (Chair); Ms Polly Billington; Sir Christopher Chope

Found: Campbell-Savours (Labour; Penrith and Solway) Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat; North East Fife) Sir Christopher Chope

Found: Campbell-Savours (Labour; Penrith and Solway) Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat; North East Fife) Sir Christopher Chope

Found: Bill Esterson (Labour; Sefton Central) (Chair) Ms Polly Billington (Labour; East Thanet) Sir Christopher Chope

Found: td class="govuk-table__cell">05/11/2025

Found: constituents, and EDS Support UK To discuss Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Ashley Dalton 05/11/2025 Sir Christopher Chope