Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the transparency and accountability mechanisms in place for monitoring Capita’s administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.
To ensure transparency and accountability, the Cabinet Office monitors the contract through the application of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). As defined in Section 52(1) of the Procurement Act 2023, a KPI is a measure against which a supplier’s performance can be assessed throughout the life-cycle of a contract. By setting specific targets for the desired level of performance within the contract itself, the contracting authority can accurately measure and demonstrate the supplier’s progress.
Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already been applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
The Cabinet Office will continue to use all available commercial levers to hold Capita to account and ensure they deliver the contractual service levels.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data (a) his Department and (b) NHS England holds on the proportion of prescribers and pharmacists who have received training on the risks of Topical Steroid Withdrawal.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and NHS England do not hold data on the proportion of prescribers and pharmacists who have received training on the risks of topical steroid withdrawal.
Initial education and training and continued professional develop is wide ranging, including dermatology. Clinicians would be expected to provide advice and counselling to patients in-line with guidance issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on the safe use of topical steroids and topical steroid withdrawal.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve police responsiveness and investigative outcomes for victims of romance fraud.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government published the Fraud Strategy 2026-2029 on 9 March. This includes targeted measures to improve police responsiveness and investigative outcomes for all forms of fraud.
The strategy launched the Online Crime Centre (OCC), backed by over £30million of Government investment. The OCC will unite UK policing, the UK Intelligence Community alongside private sector partners from the financial, telecoms, technology and cyber industries to disrupt fraud at scale including romance fraud.
Report Fraud, the new, streamlined reporting service, which launched publicly in January, improves the service for victims of fraud and provides better intelligence for police. The strategy also highlighted the measurement of police performance through the PEEL inspection programme.
We will transfer overall responsibility for fraud into the new National Police Service, as part of the wider Police Reforms to ensure a stronger and more streamlined police response.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consideration his Department has given to strengthening regulatory interfaces, including the UK’s machinery and building‑safety frameworks, to ensure that lifts, doors, and other powered egress‑related systems allow for rapid evacuation of vulnerable residents during fire emergencies.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is reviewing the recommendation from the Grenfell Inquiry to mandate fire safety strategies for higher risk buildings. Such strategies would require a building’s responsible person to set out clear plans for what vulnerable people should do to evacuate in an emergency. Additionally, government has committed to review and update guidance to the Building Regulations set out in Approved Document B (Fire Safety). The Building Safety Regulator has launched a public consultation setting out proposals including new provisions for evacuation lifts in residential buildings over 18 metres to support safe evacuation of residents who may not be able to use stairs. The consultation closes on 17 June 2026.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to prevent abuse of social care staff, including threatening unemployment, wage theft, and abuse of overtime.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department works closely with regulators, local authorities, other departments, and enforcement bodies to share concerns and intelligence about illegal or unethical practices in adult social care.
The Government is creating the Fair Work Agency (FWA) to simplify the labour market enforcement system and build an economy based on fair competition and fair reward for hard work. It will bring enforcement functions of three existing bodies together, into one place, so employment rights are enforced more effectively and efficiently.
The FWA will be responsible for enforcing domestic agency rules, the national minimum wage, licensing standards for gangmasters, and acting against serious labour exploitation.
The FWA will be implemented in phases following Royal Assent of the Employment Rights Bill, with the FWA being established in April 2026.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Probation Service's current workload on processing casework; and what steps his Department is taking to support recruitment and retention, and staff morale.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Probation Service continues to face capacity and workload pressures. The Probation Service uses management information to support local and national oversight of workloads.
The Government recognises the pressures created by increased demand and is determined to bring probation capacity into balance with caseloads. We are doing so through sustained recruitment of probation officers, improving staff retention, and reducing workloads through the Our Future Probation Service (OFPS) Programme, with a target to have released 25% additional capacity by April 2027.
The Government is committed to investing significant funds to improve the Probation Service and has announced a new commitment to onboard at least 1,300 additional new trainee probation officers in 2026/27. This is on top of the 1,000 brought in in 2024/25 and the 1,300 committed to for 2025/26.
There is a comprehensive approach by HMPPS to tackle retention challenges across both the Probation and Prison Services. Central to this effort is the Retention Framework, which sets out how data, research and insight should be used to understand local and national drivers of attrition, guide targeted interventions, and embed retention as a core, ongoing workforce priority aligned to the People Strategy.
We recognise the ongoing workload pressures across our services, and that supporting staff wellbeing is critical. To address this, a comprehensive wellbeing support offer has been established across HMPPS, with Staff Support and Wellbeing Leads in place to drive wellbeing priorities consistently across both prison and probation areas.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of driving test waiting times at test centres serving Kingswood.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working hard to reduce waiting times for car practical tests whilst upholding road safety standards. DVSA wants all customers to be able to access a driving test when they are ready to pass, to enable people to get to places of study or work and break down barriers to opportunity.
The table below shows the average waiting time in weeks for February 2026, and number of tests booked and available at the nearest four driving test centres (DTC) to Kingswood of 23 March 2026.
Driving test centre (DTC) | Average car practical driving test waiting time (February 2026) | Booked tests (as of 23 March 2026) | Tests available in 24 week booking window (as of 23 March 2026) |
Bristol (Kingswood) | 24 weeks | 4,442 | 127 |
Bristol (Avonmouth) | 24 weeks | 4,404 | 124 |
Chippenham | 24 weeks | 3,053 | 182 |
Trowbridge* | 24 weeks | 460 | 1 |
*Trowbridge is a taking the test to the customer site so may not be open every day.
Between June 2025 – February 2026, at the four DTCs above, DVSA conducted 2,372 additional car practical driving tests in overtime, when compared to the equivalent overtime scheme between June 2024 – February 2025. This increase can largely be attributed to the additional test allowance scheme the agency introduced in June 2025.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve transparency in Child Maintenance Service decision‑making.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to making its decisions clear, accessible, and transparent.
Whenever a decision is made that affects a child maintenance calculation or payment arrangements, CMS issues notifications to customers explaining the outcome. Where the maintenance calculation changes, customers are provided with information setting out how the new calculation has been reached.
CMS is taking steps to improve communications with parents by simplifying content and retiring outdated letters. In addition, the online My Child Maintenance Case service enables parents to view their case details, track changes, check their current position and view digital copies of notifications at any time. CMS are continuing to develop this service to provide even more information to customers.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of multi‑agency information‑sharing protocols between local authorities, schools and health bodies in the EHC needs assessment process.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice sets out the importance of information sharing across education, health and social care to support effective needs assessments and planning processes.
The department is determined to restore confidence in the system of support for children and young people with SEND and ensure they get the chance to achieve and thrive in their education and beyond, as set out in the recently published SEND reform consultation document, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first.
We are committed to co-designing the future needs assessment process with parents, local authorities and experts to make sure we get it right. We continue to monitor and work closely with local authorities that have issues with their education, health and care plan processes. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we help the local authority to identify the problems and put in place an effective recovery plan.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of requiring nurseries to use monitoring or recording equipment, including cameras; and whether her Department has issued guidance to early years providers on the use of such technology to support safeguarding.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The ‘Early years foundation stage’ statutory framework sets the standards and requirements early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe. Providers are required to have safeguarding policies addressing the use of mobile phones, cameras, and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities. Decisions about using monitoring and recording equipment are for individual providers, subject to safeguarding and data protection requirements.
As part of the department’s ongoing review of safeguarding requirements, an expert advisory panel has been appointed and is working at pace to inform guidance for the sector on the safe and effective use of CCTV and digital devices. This guidance will consider whether CCTV should be mandated and will set out best practice, technical advice and clear expectations. It will be published in summer 2026.