Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how BCP Council failed to sufficiently strengthen collective ownership, governance, capability and partnership working in its reform of SEND delivery; and against what criteria judgment will be made on whether progress is sufficient to qualify for further support for the Council's High Needs Stability Grant.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s Local special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Reform Plan was approved by the department on 2 October 2026. The outcome letter recognised the partnership’s progress in strengthening local leadership, relationships and governance, as well as positive momentum in collective working across education, health and care, as reflected in its latest Ofsted and Care Quality Commission inspection.
As the local area partnership remains subject to an improvement notice, it continues to receive monitoring, support and challenge under those arrangements, as set out in update provided to local members of Parliament.
The department will continue to review progress against the improvement notice. In light of the partnership’s improvements and the approval of its Local SEND Reform Plan, the department will consider whether the notice should remain in place.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s Council has also qualified for the 2026/27 High Needs Stability Grant. Arrangements for further support relating to deficits arising in 2026/27 and 2027/28 will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost to her Department was of AC-2026-LON-003445, Mark Facer v Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; how much was paid for the Defendant's costs; and what the cost was of her Department's legal representation.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The costs associated with AC-2026-LON-003445, Mark Facer v Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, have not yet been finalised. The Department is currently undertaking the necessary process to establish the final costs, including those associated with the proceedings and its legal representation.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many reports of benefit fraud were made to his Department in each of the last six months for which information is available.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In accordance with Departmental records management practices and in line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act (DPA) principles, we do not retain Fraud Referral Forms where no fraud is identified. These forms are appropriately deleted after three months in line with retention policies.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to respond to the letter of 8 September 2026 from the hon. Member for Christchurch about pollution in Christchurch harbour.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A reply to the hon. Member is being prepared and will be issued as soon as possible.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason his department has withdrawn its published guidance on the benefits fraud investigation process.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions 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.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June to Question 6319 on Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, how much were the (a) assessment, (b) staff and (c) non-staff costs in each of those years.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme is administered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). Over the last four years, data from NHSBSA shows that it has incurred the following costs to administer the scheme:
in the financial year 2022/23, the total cost of staff to administer the scheme was £3,618,483.60, the total non-staff cost to administer the scheme was £942,569.98, and the total cost of medical assessment and payments made to healthcare providers was £4,300,912.26;
in the financial year 2023/24, the total cost of staff to administer the scheme was £5,362,750.33, the total non-staff cost to administer the scheme was £234,710.23, and the total cost of medical assessment and payments made to healthcare providers was £10,573,102.97;
in the financial year 2024/25, the total cost of staff to administer the scheme was £7,058,435.21, the total non-staff cost to administer the scheme was £523,161.86, the total cost of medical assessment and payments made to healthcare providers was £21,222,364.49; and
in the financial year 2025/26, the total cost of staff to administer the scheme was £8,970,109.30, the total non-staff cost to administer the scheme was £859,542.21, and the total cost of medical assessment and payments made to healthcare providers was £19,361,669.73.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when will HM Courts & Tribunals Service reference number 1753292273313841 (a) be listed and (b) be heard.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
I can confirm the case you have referred to will be listed within August 2026 to be heard in September 2026. A notice of the hearing will be issued on the day of listing which will be approximately three weeks ahead of the hearing date.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when will the probate application 1763-9735-8436-3140, submitted by David Bull on 24 November 2025, in respect of Beryl Patricia Bull, be granted.
Answered by Catherine Atkinson
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has checked the application referred to. The application cannot currently be granted as further enquiries need to be made before a grant can be issued.
HMCTS apologises for the delay in progressing this application. The applicant is being updated and, once the relevant enquiries have been completed, the application will be processed as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference, to the statement by the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry on 15th June 2026 in column 571, at what time did that meeting begin and at what time did it finish.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The correction was made in the House on 22 June 2026 and is available on parliament.uk.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions have DVLA misread the image from an ANPR camera in the most recent year for which records are available.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The total number of ANPR images read between July 2025 and June 2026 was 95.6 million, of which 1.3 million were potential unlicensed vehicles. After the removal of those vehicles sighted more than once, 511,801 were reviewed by staff who identified 45,427 images which contained misread number plates. The DVLA routinely checks for misreads before taking action regarding non-payment of Vehicle Excise Duty.