Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the CMA has provided guidance to his Department on the regulation of pricing for heating oil and or LPG.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Following discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority, we welcome its comprehensive examination of the heating oil industry. It is vital that customers are treated fairly and any price manipulation will not be tolerated.
We are working closely with the CMA to understand their findings and develop options to increase consumer protections in this sector, including potential regulatory measures.
While this work is ongoing, the Chancellor has announced £53m for low-income households that heat their homes with oil. This funding is available across the UK and Northern Ireland.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of reports of suspected tax-fraud made to HMRC by members of the public (a) result in an investigation, (b) result in the recovery of money, (c) result in a criminal conviction.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC does not hold this data.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether eligible Claimants that have existing applications for the LCWRA element of Universal Credit and are currently waiting for their Work Capability Assessment (WCA) will upon completion receive (a) the current rate of payment or (b) the rate of payment in place when their WCA is completed.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (Rates of Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 were laid in Parliament on 09 February 2026. The Regulations provide further detail on the application of the Universal Credit Act 2025 including the definition of a pre-6 April 2026 Claimant confirming that claimants who declare a health condition or disability on or before 5 April 2026 and are found to have limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) will receive the higher rate of LCWRA. This applies even if their decision on entitlement is made on or after 6 April 2026.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 108679 on Universal Credit: Work Capability Assessment, what estimate his Department has made of the reasons for the reduction in the number of Universal Credit Work Capability Assessments completed in December 2025 compared to each of the previous four months; and what steps his Department plans to take to increase capacity.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Work Capability Assessments reduced in December 2025 compared to the previous four months due to fewer working days over Christmas and an increase of staff on annual leave, again due to the festive period.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
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 the time taken for Access to Work award decisions and reimbursements payments on access to jobs for disabled people, including people living with multiple sclerosis.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We recognise the importance of clearing the backlog, which is why last year we increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% and we have continued to streamline delivery practices. To protect employment opportunities, case managers prioritise Access to Work applications where the customer is due to start a job within four weeks, or cases that are up for renewal.
In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are considering all aspects of the scheme as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Business Secretary fortifies UK steel industry, published on 16 February 2026, how much of the £2.5 billion fund has been (a) allocated and (b) released.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is committed to providing up to £2.5 billon to support the UK steel industry, which is being delivered in part through the NWF and in part through direct support for companies. This is in addition to the £500 million investment for Tata Steel in Port Talbot, bringing the total investment in the steel industry to up to £3 billion.
Funding for the sector is already being released through direct support for companies. This includes the grant to Tata Steel at Port Talbot, support for the Official Receiver’s sale process for Speciality Steels UK sites including Rotherham and Stocksbridge, and in securing the capabilities of British Steel at Scunthorpe. To date, funding of approximately £370 million has been provided to British Steel.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to take steps in response to the CMA Road Fuel Monitoring Annual report 2025.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government notes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) annual road fuel monitoring report, which found that competition hasn’t strengthened since the CMA’s Market Study published in July 2023, and that fuel margins remain consistently high and are not explained by operating costs.
The Government has implemented the recommendations made by the CMA, including the launch of Fuel Finder, which now requires all petrol stations in the UK to report their prices within 30 minutes of a change. This scheme aims to increase price transparency and help drivers to compare prices easily and make more informed decisions on where to buy their fuel.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the powers given to the Competitions and Marketing Authority on the adequacy of competition in the fuel market sector for rural communities consumer.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government provided statutory powers to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to monitor the road fuel market and assess whether competition is working effectively for consumers, including those in rural communities.
The CMA’s recent annual report found that fuel margins remain high and are not explained by operating costs. In line with the CMA’s recommendations, the Government has implemented the statutory Fuel Finder scheme, which requires all petrol stations in the UK to report their fuel prices within 30 minutes of a change, and is intended to improve price transparency, increase competition and lower prices across the UK including for rural consumers.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many lorries of perishable goods have been refused entry into Europe at the French border under the sanitary and phytosanitary arrangements in the last year.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Data on UK consignments refused entry at French Border Control Posts is generated and owned by the competent authorities in France, who are responsible for any publication or wider disclosure.
We recognise that some GB exporters have seen an increase in rejections over the past year, reflecting the EU’s decision to reinforce sanitary and phytosanitary controls on commodities entering the EU. Our priority is to ensure that UK goods exported to the EU meet all relevant EU SPS requirements, and we continue to support businesses in doing so.
The UK has begun negotiations with the EU on an SPS agreement to make agrifood trade cheaper and easier for producers and retailers.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the Child Maintenance Service policy in establishing the Paying Parent, in the context of changes in societal norms and the increase in co-parenting and shared parenting arrangements.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The person providing primary care of the child and with whom the child lives is entitled to make an application for child maintenance. This is known as the receiving parent. The receiving parent is determined by which parent looks after the child most of the time. For example, with whom the child has their home and who usually provides day to day care for the child.
The Child Maintenance Calculation can be amended to reflect co-parenting and shared parenting arrangements. A paying parent’s maintenance liability can be reduced where they have overnight care of a child for whom they pay maintenance. This reduction is intended to broadly reflect the cost associated with any overnight care given. The paying parent must have overnight care of any qualifying children for at least 52 nights a year, equivalent to 1 night per week. The amount payable is reduced to a maximum of 50 per cent within bands based on the number of days overnight care is provided over a 12-month period.
The CMS uses bands based on the number of days overnight care is provided, to ensure a fair, consistent, and administratively efficient method of accounting for the costs borne by each parent.
If the CMS is satisfied that both parents have equal day-to-day care for the child, in addition to sharing overnight care, there is no requirement for either parent to pay child maintenance.
There is no statutory definition of day-to-day care, our definition is broadly aligned with that of Child Benefit, where an ‘overall care test’ is used. This provides consistency across government and receipt of Child Benefit is regarded as a good indicator of who is entitled to child maintenance payments.