Dan Carden Portrait

Dan Carden

Labour - Liverpool Walton

20,245 (54.9%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 8th June 2017


Foreign Affairs Committee
28th Nov 2023 - 30th May 2024
Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on the Overseas Territories
9th Jan 2024 - 30th May 2024
Finance (No.2) Bill
15th May 2024 - 21st May 2024
Public Accounts Committee
20th Apr 2021 - 29th Jan 2024
Finance Bill
10th Jan 2024 - 16th Jan 2024
Online Safety Bill
18th May 2022 - 28th Jun 2022
Environmental Audit Committee
22nd Feb 2021 - 5th Jan 2022
Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill
25th Feb 2021 - 14th Apr 2021
Armed Forces Bill Select Committee
22nd Feb 2021 - 22nd Feb 2021
Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill
22nd Feb 2021 - 22nd Feb 2021
Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)
10th Apr 2020 - 15th Oct 2020
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
3rd Dec 2018 - 6th Apr 2020
Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee)
30th Oct 2017 - 29th Apr 2019
Statutory Instruments (Select Committee)
30th Oct 2017 - 29th Apr 2019
Procedure Committee
23rd Oct 2017 - 19th Mar 2019
Shadow Minister (International Development)
12th Jan 2018 - 2nd Dec 2018


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Dan Carden has voted in 47 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Dan Carden Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op))
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(4 debate interactions)
John Healey (Labour)
Secretary of State for Defence
(4 debate interactions)
Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op))
President of the Board of Trade
(2 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Legislation Debates
Dan Carden has not made any spoken contributions to legislative debate
View all Dan Carden's debates

Liverpool Walton Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petitions with highest Liverpool Walton signature proportion
Dan Carden has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by Dan Carden

21st October 2024
Dan Carden signed this EDM on Wednesday 23rd October 2024

Zoe’s Place and funding for children’s hospices

Tabled by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
That this House notes its deep concern at the announcement that children’s hospice Zoe’s Place in Liverpool is at risk of imminent closure; applauds the phenomenal response to this shocking news in the city and thanks the huge charitable drive to raise £5 million by 9 November to save Zoe’s …
36 signatures
(Most recent: 25 Nov 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 20
Independent: 13
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Alliance: 1
9th October 2024
Dan Carden signed this EDM on Wednesday 23rd October 2024

Ban on prison officer industrial action

Tabled by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
That this House notes it has been 30 years since prison officers in the UK were banned from taking industrial action under Section 127 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994; further notes that prison officers in Scotland have had the right to strike enshrined in law since …
30 signatures
(Most recent: 30 Oct 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 15
Independent: 7
Plaid Cymru: 4
Green Party: 4
View All Dan Carden's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Dan Carden, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Dan Carden has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Dan Carden has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

1 Bill introduced by Dan Carden


A Bill to provide for a right for a user of health and care services to be accompanied by a care supporter; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Tuesday 6th June 2023
(Read Debate)

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
27th Nov 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the National Audit Office's report entitled Managing conflicts of interest, HC 307, published on 22 November 2024.

We are committed to restoring public confidence in government and ensuring that all those in public service are held to the highest standards.

We will consider carefully the National Audit Office’s recommendations in its recent report ‘Managing Conflicts of Interest’.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

The Department for Business and Trade is a newly formed Department established in February 2023. The new department absorbed the functions of the former Department for International Trade (DIT) and some of the functions of the former Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The amount spent on consultancy by both departments are as follows:

Year

DIT

BEIS

2021

£5,782

£636,000

2022

£380,000

£587,000

2023

£865,000

£649,000

The Department publishes its annual expenditure on consultancy in its Annual Report and Accounts.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
5th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to provide transition pathways for oil and gas workers.

The Clean Energy Mission will create hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country. The UK has a highly skilled oil and gas workforce, with high transferability of skills to these new roles.

The Office for Clean Energy Jobs (OCEJ) has been created to ensure that clean energy jobs are abundant, high quality, paid fairly, and have favourable terms and good working conditions.

The OCEJ will also set out targeted interventions to support specific skills needs in the clean energy workforce. It recently announced support for the Energy Skills Passport to support oil and gas workers into new roles in the clean energy sector.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) was created in February 2023, so no information is held for periods prior to that date.

The Departments spend on Consultancy Fees in financial year 23/24 can be found in the 2023/24 Annual Report, available here.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of Ofgem’s decision to increase the energy price cap from October 2024.

Ofgem’s price cap increased for the period 1 October 2024 to 31 December 2024 due to the increase in global wholesale energy prices. The Government believes that the only way to protect billpayers permanently from price shocks, is to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on foreign, volatile energy markets, and help in our commitment to produce all of the UK's energy from clean power sources by 2030.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

DSIT was created by a Machinery of Government (MOG) change on 7 February 2023, we have not provided data prior to DSIT becoming a fully operational department. Departmental Group consultancy spend in financial year 23-24, as disclosed in 2023-24 Annual report & Accounts (ARA), was £24.0 million.

We recognise the Government is committed to restoring the public finances and delivering value for the taxpayer. As part of this wider mission, the Government has pledged to reduce wasteful spend on non-essential and expensive consultants in order to save over £1.2 billion by 2026.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to tackle online (a) disinformation and (b) misinformation.

The Online Safety Act (OSA) will be the Governments key tool in combatting online mis- and disinformation. It sets out a clear regulatory framework to tackle both mis- and disinformation where it constitutes illegal content or harmful content to children.

In addition, we are educating and empowering users through our work on media literacy to increase society’s resilience to mis- and disinformation.

Officials also regularly meet with major platforms, about disinformation activity, emerging risks and platforms’ responses.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
28th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending reimbursement of employer National Insurance contributions to the voluntary sector.

At the recent Budget, the government took a number of difficult decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the foundations of the public finances, fund public services, and restore economic stability.

Ministers have met with representatives from the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector to discuss this issue and the department is aware of their concerns about the impacts of the increase to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs).

The government recognises the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means that more than half of businesses (including charities) with NICs liabilities will either gain or see no change next year.

We are also expanding eligibility of the Employment Allowance by removing the £100,000 eligibility threshold, to simplify and reform employer NICs so that all eligible employers now benefit. Businesses and charities will still be able to claim employer NICs reliefs including those for under 21s and under 25 apprentices, where eligible.

The Government publishes Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) for tax policy changes, which give a clear explanation of the policy objective and an assessment of the impacts. The TIIN for the employer NICs changes was published on 13 November 2024.

Within the tax system, we provide support to charities through a range of reliefs and exemptions, including reliefs for charitable giving. More than £6 billion in charitable reliefs was provided to charities, Community Amateur Sports Clubs and their donors in 2023 to 2024. The biggest individual reliefs provided are Gift Aid at £1.6 billion and business rates relief at nearly £2.4 billion.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

2021-22 - The consultancy spend was £17.5m for DCMS core department as can be seen in note 4.3 page 146 of our laid annual report and accounts - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/638883e6d3bf7f3282be4061/DCMS_Annual_Report_and_Accounts_2021-22_-_web_accessible_version.pdf

2022-23 - The consultancy spend was £9.1m for DCMS core department as can be seen in note 4.3 page 165 of our laid annual report and accounts - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/656e02469462260705c568ca/E03016038_HC_255_Dept_of_Culture__Media_and_Sport_ARA_2022-23_Accessible.pdf

2023-24 - The consultancy spend was £2.6m for DCMS core department; this is within the total for the DCMS group consultancy spend of £15.2m as can be seen in note 4.3 page 167 of our laid annual report and accounts - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/673f1ae44ebce30ac7baf00d/E03231133_DCMS_ARA_2023-24_ACCESSIBLE.pdf

The figures for 2021-22 and 2022-23 are on a pre Machinery of Government basis and therefore included costings for Digital related activities that are transferred to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

The figures for consultancy spend after 1 April 2024 will not be available until our 2024-25 accounts have been laid in parliament and published.

The Government is committed to restoring the public finances and delivering value for the taxpayer.

As part of this wider mission, the Government has pledged to reduce wasteful spend on non-essential and expensive consultants in order to save over £1.2 billion by 2026.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
12th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions her Department has had with football authorities about (a) inclusion and (b) accessibility for disabled fans.

The government recognises the great importance of sport and physical activity for disabled people at both the grassroots and elite levels. We recognise there are barriers which exist and prevent some people from taking part and spectating. We will continue to do all that we can to tackle these and are encouraging sport bodies to make sport more accessible.

The government recently ratified the St Denis Convention. In doing so, we committed to providing an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sports events. The Sports Ground Safety Authority, one of DCMS’s Arm's-Length Bodies, has begun a partnership with the Council of Europe to better understand and promote the ‘safety’ and ‘service’ element of the convention to the benefit of all fans.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
6th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of young people out of (a) work, (b) education and (c) training in Liverpool Walton constituency.

The department publishes national statistics on those not in education, employment or training (NEET) for England from the labour force survey for young people aged 16 to 24. However, these are only published at national and regional level due to limitations with sample sizes for lower-level geographies. Therefore, NEET rates for young people aged 16 to 24 cannot be provided for the area requested. The available statistics can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/neet-statistics-annual-brief.

Local authorities are required to encourage, enable or assist young people’s participation in education or training and return management information for young people aged 16 and 17. This data shows that of the 10,372 young people aged 16 and 17-years-old who were known to Liverpool local authority around the end of 2022 (average of December 2022, January 2023 and February 2023), 885 were NEET or their activity was not known (530 known to be NEET and 355 young people whom the local authority could not confirm their activity). This data is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neet-and-participation-local-authority-figures. These are not national statistics but published as transparency data so some caution should be taken if using these figures. Data is not available for Liverpool, Walton constituency.

In addition, 16 to 18 destination measures are published. These official statistics show the percentage of pupils not continuing to a sustained education, apprenticeship or employment destination in the year after completing 16 to 18 study, that is 6 months of continual activity. This can be used as a proxy for NEET at age 18. Data for Liverpool Walton is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/55eab43f-7467-408e-90c8-08dd184e91f8. This shows that out of 357 pupils completing 16 to 18 study in the 2021/22 academic year in Liverpool Walton, 39 pupils were not recorded as having a sustained destination in the 2022/23, and 23 pupils did not have their activity captured.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

The government is committed to restoring the public finances and delivering value for the taxpayer.

As part of this wider mission, the government has pledged to reduce wasteful spend on non-essential and expensive consultants in order to save over £1.2 billion by 2026.

The latest available data that has been audited and published as part of the Group Annual Report and Accounts, is linked below:

The data for post-March 2024 is live and unaudited. Additionally, due to the department’s accruals accounting, the partial year’s data may be incomplete and misleading. Therefore, we are unable to provide data beyond March 2024.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve support for care leavers.

The department recognises that care leavers have poorer outcomes than their peers across all aspects of their lives. We want all those leaving care to have stable homes, access to health services, support to build lifelong loving relationships, and help to engage in education, employment and training. The department is committed to helping children thrive, and we want the best for every child and family. We want to build on the foundations laid by local authorities to create a care system that works for everyone.

We have already begun this vital work. My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced in his speech in September that we will bring forward legislation, when parliamentary time allows, to remove the local connection requirement for care leavers seeking access to social housing at the next available opportunity.

In the King’s Speech, we committed to introduce a Children’s Wellbeing Bill to take forward further legislative changes needed to improve the children’s social care system, including support for care leavers.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the report by Kinship entitled Forgotten: Support for kinship children’s education and mental health, published August 2024.

The government is determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve. It knows that many children in kinship care need extra support, including in school. The department is working to ensure their needs are met, and that they have the best possible opportunity to succeed.

Children in kinship care can currently access pupil premium funding if they have been entitled to free school meals within the last six years and can receive pupil premium plus funding if they have left local authority care through a Special Guardianship or Child Arrangements Order. Children cared for under one of these orders are also eligible for school admissions through the Fair Access Protocol.

From September 2024, the role of Virtual School Heads has been expanded to include championing the education, attendance and attainment of children in kinship care, ensuring that more children in kinship care receive the help they need to thrive at school.

The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, helps adoptive and Special Guardianship Order children, and their families, access therapeutic interventions related to trauma and attachment. Since the fund was established in 2015, it has provided over £400 million in funding to support more than 50,000 children.

This government is considering how to most effectively transform the children’s social care system to deliver better outcomes for children and families, including how best to support kinship children and families.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to extend contracts for Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs in (a) the Liverpool City Region and (b) across England.

The department is committed to ensuring that every child in an early years setting receives high quality education and care. Evidence shows that this has a positive impact on outcomes in both the short and long term, particularly for the most disadvantaged children.

The Stronger Practice Hubs Programme was launched in 2022 to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the youngest children, with a focus on the most disadvantaged areas. The Hubs support early years settings and childminders by sharing effective practice, learning from the best available evidence, and building lasting local networks.

The department is pleased to confirm that all Stronger Practice Hubs in England, including the Hub in the Liverpool City Region, have been offered the opportunity to extend their grants until 31 March 2025.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
18th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to reform the SEND system.

For too long the education and care system has not meet the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve.


This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department will be focusing on a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I will work with families and education and care experts to deliver this in the best interests of our children.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

Expenditure on consultancy is reported each year in the Annual Report and Accounts.

For 2021-22, this is shown on page 111 at

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/635a7f1e8fa8f5653f83f4f0/defra-annual-report-2021-2022.pdf

For 2022-23, this is shown on page 108 at

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/653a9479e6c9680014aa9be8/annual-report-and-accounts-2022-23.pdf

The 2023-24 figures are being audited and are not yet finalised or published.

The Government is committed to restoring the public finances and delivering value for the taxpayer.

As part of this wider mission, the Government has pledged to reduce wasteful spend on non-essential and expensive consultants in order to save over £1.2 billion by 2026.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
6th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress his Department has made to meet the commitment to protect 30% of (a) land and (b) seas by 2030.

In July, the Secretary of State confirmed the Government’s intention to launch a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP). Our review will make sure that the EIP is fit for purpose to deliver on our ambitious targets, including 30by30, and we will communicate updates in the usual way.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

The table shows the total departmental spend on consultancy for financial years 2020/2021 to 2023/2024. The total includes the central department (DfTc), Executive Agencies and Arm Length Bodies (ALBs).

Departmental total spend (£)

2020/21 175,720,840

2021/22 198,001,723

2022/23 225,477,742

2023/24 165,372,920

Mike Kane
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
6th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase uptake of Pension Credit in winter 2024-25.

The Department’s campaign to promote Pension Credit has been running across Great Britain since September. The latest phase of the campaign, which launched on 8 November, is aimed at friends and family - especially adult children of eligible pensioners - asking them to tell people they know about Pension Credit, encourage them to check their eligibility, as well as help them make a claim. It is running on TV, radio, social media such as Facebook and Instagram, on YouTube and on advertising screens, including on GP and Post Office screens.

The Department’s ‘Invitation to Claim’ initiative was launched on 30 October. Since then, we have written to around 120,000 pensioner households across Great Britain who are in receipt of Housing Benefit but not Pension Credit. The letter and accompanying leaflet urge these households to claim Pension Credit by the 21 December, which is the latest date for making a successful backdated Pension Credit claim and qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment in winter 2024/25.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
6th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Get Britain Working White Paper on the services provided by Jobcentres in Liverpool Walton constituency.

The reforms to Jobcentres across Great Britain that we have announced in the recent Get Britain Working White Paper will be transformative.

Key to the White Paper’s successful delivery will be ensuring it is locally responsive and engaged. This will mean it will operate differently in different areas to reflect local systems and needs.

We will work closely with key partners, including Mayoral Combined Authorities, as we design, develop and test the new service into the next year. These tests will help us discover how we can shape a local service, while the UK Government maintains overall accountability for it.

Alison McGovern
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
6th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Youth Guarantee on young people in Liverpool Walton constituency.

In the Get Britain Working White Paper, the Government announced £45 million of funding for eight trailblazers in England to test delivery of the Youth Guarantee. Liverpool City Region are one of the eight areas set to receive a proportion of this funding to support 18-21 year olds access education, training and employment opportunities in their area.

Working closely on the detail of the design and delivery in the Liverpool City Region, we will be able to maximise the difference it makes to young people’s lives locally. Further analysis will be available through the course of the trailblazer.

Alison McGovern
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
2nd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the report entitled Fix the CMS: key findings from our research on child maintenance, published by Gingerbread in November 2024.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) continues to engage regularly with stakeholders as we consider CMS reform. We are currently considering the recommendations and our response to the Gingerbread report ‘Fix the CMS’.

The CMS Service Modernisation Programme has delivered improvements to the customer experience enabling parents to access their on-line My Child Maintenance Case, ensuring parents can report changes of circumstances and access their digital communications at any time of the day. In addition, caseworker training to support vulnerable customers has been updated following invaluable engagement with stakeholders.

The CMS has recently consulted on significant reforms and are analysing the responses. This included removing the Direct Pay service and managing all CMS cases in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster.  The consultation also sought views on how victims and survivors of domestic abuse can be better supported to use CMS and whether removing Direct Pay completely would benefit victims and survivors of domestic abuse. The Government will publish a response in due course.

Andrew Western
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Education to ensure that care leavers have adequate financial support, in the context of the cost of living.

There are already a number of easements in place within the benefit system to support particular groups – including care leavers. To support the additional challenges care leavers face, care leavers benefit from an exemption to the Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR) until the age of 25.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

The following table shows the amount the Department spent on consultancy fees, each year since 2021:

Year

2022/23

2021/22

2020/21

Spend

£4,092,000

£252,815,000

£188,978,000

Source: the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts within the Accountability Report, in the table on expenditure on Consultancy, Agency and Temporary workers.

The value for 2020/21 has been amended from previous Parliamentary Questions as a prior year adjustment for 2020/21 was reflected in the 2021/22 Annual Report and Accounts to account for £17,365,000 for the vaccine taskforce, which was transferred from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, amending the value for 2020/21 from £171,613,000 to £188,978,000. The table excludes the date for 2023/24. Fully audited figures for 2023/24 will be available upon the publication of the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts later this year.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the email of 18 July 2024 from the hon. Member for Liverpool Walton on care supporters.

I have responded to the Hon. Member’s letter.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the recommendations of Blood Cancer UK's Action Plan.

The Department has not made a formal assessment of the potential implications of its policies based on the recommendations of Blood Cancer UK’s Action Plan.

However, we will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster. This is supported by NHS England’s key ambition on cancer to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard, which sets a target of 28 days from urgent referral by a general practitioner or screening programme to patients being told that they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out.

The Department is committed to implementing the recommendations of the Lord O'Shaughnessy review into commercial clinical trials, making sure that the United Kingdom leads the world in clinical trials, and to ensure that innovative, lifesaving treatments are accessible to NHS patients, including those with blood cancer.

Professor Lord Darzi has undertaken an independent investigation into the state of the NHS, the findings of which will feed into the Government’s 10-year plan to build a health service that is fit for the future. The Government will therefore set out any further priorities on cancer and health in due course.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve pancreatic cancer outcomes.

The Department is working with NHS England to deliver interventions to improve outcomes for those with pancreatic cancer across England. Early diagnosis is imperative to improving outcomes for all types of cancer, especially pancreatic due to the non-specific nature of its symptoms. As the first step to ensuring faster diagnosis and treatment, we will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week.

For pancreatic cancer specifically, NHS England is providing a route into pancreatic cancer surveillance for those at inherited high-risk, to identify lesions before they develop into cancer. NHS England is additionally creating pathways to support faster referral routes for people with non-specific symptoms, and is increasing direct access for general practitioners to diagnostic tests.

Additionally, the Getting it Right First-Time team in NHS England is undertaking a deep dive into pancreatic cancer, which will highlight good practice and actions National Health Service providers need to take to improve services. NHS England is also funding a new audit into pancreatic cancer, aiming to provide regular and timely evidence to cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, to increase the consistency of access to treatments and to stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with NHS England on the workload of pathology services staff.

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has had no recent discussions with NHS England on this subject. However, the Department will continue to engage with NHS England on a variety of issues, including staff workload.

We recognise that staff across the National Health Service have been under considerable pressure. We are committed to tackling staff shortages, and want to improve organisational culture and working conditions so that we can keep staff healthy and motivated, and retain vital skills and experience in the NHS.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) supply and (b) availability of ADHD medications.

The Department has been working hard with industry to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of our intensive work, some issues have been resolved. Many strengths of lisdexamfetamine and all strengths of atomoxetine capsules and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available. We are working to resolve medicine supply issues, where they remain, for some strengths of lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate. These are anticipated to resolve by August and October 2024, respectively.

We have engaged with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to discuss the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are asking suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term.

The Department has worked with specialist clinicians to develop management advice for National Health Service clinicians to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. We would expect ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance to offer rapid response to primary care teams seeking urgent advice or opinion for the management of patients including those known to be at a higher risk of adverse impact because of these shortages.

To aid ADHD service providers and prescribers further, we have widely disseminated our communications and continually update a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website, helping ensure that those involved in the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medications can make informed decisions with patients, which is available at the following link:

https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/prescribing-available-medicines-to-treat-adhd/

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

Per the annual report and accounts published figures, the FCDO has spent the following amounts on consultancy fees since 2021:

    • £2.7 million in 20/21
    • £5.8 million in 21/22
    • £4.3 million in 22/23
    • £3.5 million in 23/24
    • The reporting for the current financial year, Apr 2024 to Mar 2025, is not available and will be published in due course in 2025.

The Government is committed to restoring the public finances and delivering value for the taxpayer. As part of this wider mission, the Government has pledged to reduce wasteful spend on non-essential and expensive consultants in order to save over £1.2 billion by 2026.

Catherine West
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of potential implications for his policies of the human rights situation in Bangladesh.

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. In July, the UK government expressed concern about the situation in Bangladesh and called for all sides to work together to end the violence. We were clear that a full and independent UN-led investigation is important. The Interim Government in Bangladesh has the UK's full support as it works to restore peace and order including investigating alleged human rights violations. The UK supports the work of the UN as it works to conduct an impartial and independent fact-finding mission to identify human rights violations.

Catherine West
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
28th Nov 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to employer National Insurance contributions on the voluntary drug and alcohol treatment sector.

A Tax Information and Impact Note that covers the employer NICs changes was published by HMRC on 13 November and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-the-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-secondary-threshold-the-secondary-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-rate-and-the-empl/changes-to-the-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-secondary-threshold-the-secondary-class-1-national-insurance-contributions-rate-and-the-empl .

The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all next year, more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package, and all eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
14th Nov 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of exempting charities from the increase to employer National Insurance contributions.

The Government recognises the important role charities play in our society, and has made it a priority to reset the relationship with civil society by developing a Civil Society Covenant.

To repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance.

The Government recognises the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of employers with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change next year. Charities will still be able to claim employer NICs reliefs including those for under 21s and under 25 apprentices, where eligible.

More broadly, within the tax system, we provide support to charities through a range of reliefs and exemptions, including reliefs for charitable giving, with more than £6 billion in charitable reliefs provided to charities, CASCs and their donors in 2023 to 2024.

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
12th Nov 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on increasing the fund for reparations payments to LGBT+ veterans.

Treasury Ministers regularly meets with Ministerial colleagues to discuss a range of issues. The LGBT Veterans Independent Report recommended a level of funding to be made available for those dismissed or discharged from service as a result of policy prohibiting homosexuality in the Armed Forces (‘the ban’). The details of the financial recognition scheme recommended by the report are still in development and approval, including the total fund to be made available by MoD in recognition of those dismissed, discharged, or otherwise impacted by the ban. The Scheme details will be announced in Parliament when the Government is ready to publish its response.

Darren Jones
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the Institute of Alcohol Studies' article entitled £27.4 billion cost of alcohol harm in England every year, published on 20 May 2024.

Following the recent alcohol duty reforms, all alcoholic products are now taxed by strength. This reflects public health priorities and helps to address potentially harmful products like ‘white’ ciders and strong fortified wines, which are often cited by health groups as being abused.

The Chancellor has confirmed that she will set out plans for tax – as well as spending and borrowing – in the usual way at the Budget on 30 October.

HM Treasury welcomes representations as part of this policy making process and Budget submissions will be received through the online portal until 10 September.

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
18th Jul 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department plans to take to support co-operatives.

The Government recognises the important contribution that co-operatives make to the economy, serving local communities around the UK and ensuring the UK has a diverse business sector with their model of shared ownership. Co-operatives, alongside other mutuals in the UK, had combined annual revenues of £87.9 billion in 2022, equating to 3.5% of UK GDP.

The Government is committed to supporting the UK’s co-operative and mutuals sector and will be working closely with the sector to address any barriers that it currently faces.

Tulip Siddiq
Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had discussions with the Fire Brigades Union, in the context of the report entitled Dangerous cladding: the government’s remediation portfolio, published by the National Audit Office on 4 November 2024.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is the lead on building remediation and is due to meet the Fire Brigades Union in the new year.

Diana Johnson
Minister of State (Home Office)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

The Home Office holds information on consultancy fees and reports this in its Annual Report and Accounts.

Refer to the links and pages below for the available published information that relates to consultancy spending.

Pages 155-157 (Pages 159-161 on the pdf reader) of the 2023-24 Home Office Annual Report and Accounts

Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2023 to 2024 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Pages 173-175 of the 2022-23 Home Office Annual Report and Accounts

Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2022-2023 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Pages 107-108 of the the 2022-23 Home Office Annual Report and Accounts

Home_Office_ARA_21-22_Final_-_Gov.uk.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Pages 99-101 of the 2020-21 Home Office Annual Report and Accounts

HO annual report and accounts 2020-21 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Information relating to financial year 2024-25 will be available following the end of the financial year and once the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts have been laid before Parliament.

Note that the Home Office reports by its financial year (April-March), rather than on a calendar year basis.

Diana Johnson
Minister of State (Home Office)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the proposals in the document entitled, The Firefighters’ Manifesto - Our Service, Our Future, published on 1 November 2023 by the Fire Brigades Union.

The Government values the role of the Fire Brigades Union and is determined to bring about meaningful improvement to fire and rescue services across the country.

We will formally work with all sector stakeholders to inform policy and establish national standards.

Diana Johnson
Minister of State (Home Office)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

The table below gives the overall expenditure on consultancies in the last five financial years by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), On Vote Agencies, Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies and Other Bodies (such as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Royal Hospital Chelsea, the Reserve Forces and Cadet Associations and International Military Services Ltd.).

Financial Year

Consultancy Expenditure (£million)

2020-21

109.668

2021-22

134.942

2022-23

149.105

2023-24

86.276

We have taken immediate action to stop all non-essential government consultancy spending in 2024-25 as part of our commitment to secure value for money for taxpayers, crack down on waste, and get a grip of MOD budgets

Maria Eagle
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
6th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will have discussions with the Electoral Commission on the potential implications for (a) her and (b) the Commission's policies of Transparency International's position paper entitled Cheques and balances: Countering the influence of big money in UK politics, published in December 2024.

Effective regulation and enforcement of political finance are crucial for maintaining public trust in our electoral systems. The Government is committed to strengthening our democracy and upholding the integrity of elections and, as stated in our manifesto, we intend to strengthen the rules around donations to political parties to protect our democracy. My department is working closely with the Electoral Commission on developing proposals to give effect to this commitment. We are also seeking, and remaining open to, evidence from key stakeholders, particularly in relation to threats to our democracy.

Rushanara Ali
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

The Government is committed to restoring the public finances and delivering value for the taxpayer.

As part of this wider mission, the Government has pledged to reduce wasteful spend on non-essential and expensive consultants in order to save over £1.2 billion by 2026.

Figures for consultancy spend are included each year in the Department's annual report. The corresponding figure for FY2024-25 is expected to be published by the end of July 2025.

Details of contracts awarded valued at £10,000 (inc VAT) or more are published on: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder.

Alex Norris
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
18th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to return landlord licensing powers to local authorities.

Local housing authorities are able to introduce selective licensing of landlords in targeted areas to tackle specific problems, if the statutory requirements are met.

Since 2015, new or renewed schemes which cover more than 20% of a local authority’s private rented stock or geographical area require approval from the Secretary of State.

We will keep this 20% threshold under review in light of our proposals for devolution and supporting improving rented sector standards.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
18th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has plans to reform local government finance to ensure funding allocations take greater account of local need.

Future local authority funding decisions will be a matter for the next Spending Review and Local Government Finance Settlement in which we are engaged. The department will work with local government leaders to ensure they are better able to fulfil their statutory duties.

We want to hear from councils about the financial challenges they are facing and we are committed to stabilising the local government finance landscape in this Parliament.

Jim McMahon
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
18th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has plans to reform council tax.

Future local authority funding decisions will be a matter for the next Spending Review and Local Government Finance Settlement in which we are engaged.

Jim McMahon
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
22nd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of prison officer retention.

Despite the efforts of hard-working staff, prisons are in crisis. Band 3-5 Prison Officer leaving rates peaked in 2023 and we are experiencing the impact of that now, with significant numbers of prison officers who have recently been recruited and lack experience. Although leaving rates have now lowered, we must focus our attention on retaining our dedicated staff in order to maintain a sufficiently resourced and skilled workforce to deliver quality outcomes in prisons. It takes time to build confidence, capability and the jailcraft skills that are essential to improve the system, and for prisons to successfully carry out their vital role of protecting the public and reducing reoffending.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury