Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) existing mechanisms for an employee to raise concerns about an occupational health provider appointed by their employer and (b) independent oversight of the conduct and quality of these providers.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Employers are responsible for providing a mechanism for employees to raise concerns about an occupational health provider through their own industrial relations arrangements. Concerns about the quality and conduct of occupational health practitioners should be taken to the relevant professional body, such as the General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of recent UK Research and Innovation and The Science and Technology Facilities Council's decisions to reduce funding for particle physics, nuclear physics and astronomy on (a) the training and retention of highly skilled graduates and (b) the UK’s long-term economic growth, scientific capability and international standing.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DSIT and UKRI remain committed to international scientific collaboration, and UKRI’s record £38.6 billion settlement over the Spending Review will support areas including talent, scientific capability and international collaboration, including £14 billion in curiosity-driven research that underpins long-term economic growth.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) within UKRI is currently consulting with the scientific community about spending priorities within their settlement ahead of determining final allocations. No final spending decisions have been made.
Due to a rising cost base, choices are required to put the council on a financially sustainable footing. As part of this consultation, STFC is working with the sector to model scenarios for its portfolio in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics. The impacts of these different spending scenarios will be considered alongside feedback from the sector when taking final decisions.
UKRI’s CEO Sir Ian Chapman has confirmed that STFC’s core budget will hold relatively flat from £835 million to £842 million over the Spending Review period. Applicant-led research in STFC will increase from £83 million in 2026/27 to £90 million by 2029/30. As legacy commitments/awards come to their conclusion, headroom will also open up for UKRI-funded research and innovation under its government and societal priorities allocation which is open for competition.
Separately, informed by independent expert advice from UKRI’s Infrastructure Advisory Committee in late December, UKRI decided to stop several Infrastructure Fund projects, including some international projects in particle physics. These decisions have enabled UKRI to continue investing in other essential projects that seek to strengthen scientific capability and attract private investment.
DSIT has been in active dialogue with UKRI to ensure that any implications from funding decisions are fully understood and that they reflect both the UK’s strategic research priorities and its global commitments. DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its final allocations are informed by meaningful consultation with the research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability and international standing.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring planning permission to change residential homes to short-term lets.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
While short-term lets can benefit local economies, the government recognise that excessive concentrations of them impact on the availability and affordability of homes for local residents to buy and rent, as well as local services.
We are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short-term lets as well as second homes.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the proposed mandatory national register for short term lets will be introduced.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We are committed to the introduction of the new national short-term lets registration service as soon as possible. The service entered user testing at the end of October 2025 to ensure it is robust, easy to use and meets the needs of the scheme, ahead of its public launch in 2026.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delays to coroner proceedings in excess of 18 months on eligibility for Bereavement Support Payments.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Delays to coroner proceedings do not change eligibility for Bereavement Support Payment. DWP encourages those who are eligible for Bereavement Support Payment to make a claim even if they do not yet have a death certificate. DWP will work with the customer to establish what alternative evidence they can provide, such as an interim death certificate.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to extend the two year limit on the tax free payment of a pension lump sum following the death of a spouse when the withdrawal is delayed by a coroner's investigation.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the distress that bereavement and any subsequent investigations can cause. The two‑year limit for tax‑free pension death benefits is a long‑standing feature that supports prompt payment and consistent administration. The Government keeps all tax policy under review, but has no current plans to amend the existing two‑year limit.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will make an assessment of the extent and impact of mortgage providers rejecting mortgages for leasehold properties with ground rent over 0.1% of the sale price.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 74455 on 15 September 2025.
In addition, measures in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which came into effect in December, will prevent long leases with grounds rents of £250 (or £1,000 in London) from repossession under provisions in the 1988 Housing Act.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the New Road Safety Strategy will be published.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035. This target will focus the efforts of road safety partners across Britain, with measures to improve road design, protect vulnerable road users, and review motoring offences. All of this will be supported and monitored by a new Road Safety Board chaired by the Minister for Local Transport.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on children and families of local pauses to neurodevelopmental assessments under the NHS Right to Choose pathway; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that interim support is available to families whose referrals have been affected.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future and it recognises the need for early intervention and support.
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including access to neurodevelopmental assessments.
Through the medium-term planning framework, published 24 October, NHS England has set clear expectations for local ICBs and trusts to improve access, experience, and outcomes for autism and ADHD services over the next three years, focusing on improving quality and productivity.
Patients’ right to choose is set out in legislation. Patients being referred to a mental health professional, including for neurodevelopmental assessments, have the right to be treated by any clinically appropriate provider who holds a contract for the provision of NHS services.
ICBs are responsible for ensuring that their processes comply with the legal right to choose. This includes any qualifying contract requirements and clinical appropriateness or eligibility criteria. ICBs also have a duty to publicise and promote choice and can provide local referral guidance to support referrers and ensure that referrals into any NHS funded service are appropriate.
There has been no change to the existing legal right patients have to choose the provider and team who will provide their elective care in certain cases. These rights extend to any provider in England who holds a contract with an ICB, or NHS England, for the service/s the patient requires, as per the NHS Choice Framework. This includes independent sector providers who deliver NHS funded care. Neurodivergent services are already in scope of this legislation.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of adding veterinary medicine to the list of second-degree courses eligible for tuition fee loans, including the potential impact on (a) access to the veterinary profession and (b) the UK’s veterinary workforce.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
To ensure the student finance system remains sustainable, students who already hold a qualification at an equivalent or higher-level qualification (ELQ) to that of their current course are not normally eligible for tuition fee or maintenance loans. An exception has been made to these rules to encourage access to certain professions, including veterinary medicine. Students undertaking a full-time second degree in veterinary medicine starting before 1 January 2027 will qualify for maintenance support for the duration of their course.
This position will change under the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, which will replace higher education student finance loans from 1 January 2027. An additional loan entitlement will be made available for a limited number of priority subjects, such as medicine. These are courses required to address priority skills needs and that align with the government’s Industrial Strategy.