Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of PIP claimants currently have more than four points in any one category.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information you requested can be found in Table 2.27 in the Pathways to Work: Evidence Pack: Chapter 2.
The assessment of the Office for Budget Responsibility, published at the Spring Statement, is that most of the current claimants of PIP Daily Living who did not score four points in any of the activities at their last assessment will, nevertheless, because of behaviour changes, be awarded PIP Daily Living again after the proposed eligibility changes take effect.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when a person who reached state pension age before 2016 would become entitled to their basic state pension.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The basic State Pension was available for those who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016.
Men were eligible for basic State Pension at age 65. Women born prior to 6 April 1950 were eligible for the basic State Pension at age 60.
Following changes to the State Pension age due to the Pensions Act 1995, women born from 6 April 1950 to 5 April 1953 were eligible for the basic State Pension on a phased basis between 6 May 2010 and 6 March 2016. They had a State Pension age of between 60 years and one day and 63 years.
Details can be found in Table 1 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f02e640f0b62305b84929/spa-timetable.pdf
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 38091 on UK Emissions Trading Scheme: Ceramics, which recommendations he supports for the decarbonisation of the ceramics sector; and what is the nature of that support.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I refer my hon Friend to the answer given in the House on 1 May which focussed on the ceramics sector. The Government recognises that we need to support a range of energy intensive industries, including ceramics, that are essential to our economy and our missions. For example, to build the 1.5 million homes and the clean energy infrastructure projects that this Government is already investing in.
The Ceramics UK report mentioned describes a role for: energy efficiency improvements; addressing grid decarbonisation and self -generation; fuel switching to electrification, hydrogen and biomass; product and material adaptation; and addressing process emissions through a combination of Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) and addressing residual emissions. While the exact balance will vary between firms and between subsectors of industry, we expect a role for each of these measures, and are taking action to support and provide signals to the market on each of these. Government will bring forward a renewed industrial decarbonisation strategy in due course to address energy and decarbonisation issues across industries in a holistic way, and is committed to working closely with the ceramics sector as we develop that approach.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on (a) public and (b) school library funding.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.
Local government is responsible for running or commissioning public library services. The Government has delivered a Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) that begins to fix the foundations of local government by providing significant investment and redirecting funding towards the services and places that need it most. The Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25.
The Government provides funding to schools and academies through the Dedicated Schools Grant. Schools and academies are best placed to make decisions on how to prioritise this funding, including on school library provision.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to ensure that media literacy programmes are part of (a) local and (b) regional strategies.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Government is adopting a holistic approach to digital inclusion integrating related policy on digital skills and media literacy. The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps towards delivering digital inclusion for everyone in the UK, including supporting community initiatives for boosting digital skills and media literacy. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology coordinates activity across policy areas, aiming to embed media literacy across cross-cutting government strategies.
Under updated media literacy duties, Ofcom is developing a ‘place-based’ model to embed media literacy into community digital strategies, working with the Good Things Foundation to support Digital Inclusion Hubs to offer media literacy.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to increase access to adult education on media literacy.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The adult skills fund (ASF) fully funds or co-funds education and skills training for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, including media literacy education.
Currently, approximately 62% of the ASF is devolved to 9 mayoral strategic authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF-funded adult education for their residents and allocation of the ASF to learning providers to best meet their local needs. The department is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas. In non-devolved areas, adults who earn less than £25,000 in annual gross salary are eligible for full funding, but it is the responsibility of providers to decide what training to offer.
More broadly, civil society and community organisations are instrumental in delivering media literacy programmes to adults, leveraging their expertise to support diverse and vulnerable groups.
The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps toward delivering digital inclusion and media literacy for everyone in the UK, including supporting local and community initiatives to increase digital participation.
Under updated media literacy duties, Ofcom is developing a ‘place-based’ model to embed media literacy into community digital strategies, working with the Good Things Foundation to support Digital Inclusion Hubs.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of (a) civil society and (b) community organisations in delivering lifelong media literacy programmes for adults.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Civil society and community organisations are instrumental in delivering media literacy programmes to adults, leveraging their expertise to support diverse and vulnerable groups. Libraries and community centres provide accessible locations where adults of all ages can get guidance and advice.
The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps toward delivering digital inclusion and media literacy for everyone in the UK, including supporting local and community initiatives to increase digital participation.
Under updated media literacy duties, Ofcom is developing a ‘place-based’ model to embed media literacy into community digital strategies, working with the Good Things Foundation to support Digital Inclusion Hubs.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help tackle health misinformation due to levels of media literacy.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government understands the importance of building audience resilience to mis- and disinformation, noting that improved media literacy is essential for helping people to recognise this content. The Online Safety Act updates Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy by adding targeted duties to develop internet users’ understanding of the nature and impact of mis- and disinformation.
The Act also requires platforms to tackle health mis- and disinformation that is illegal or harmful to children. Additionally, where it is prohibited in Category 1 platforms’ terms of service, they must remove it and enforce this consistently.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will ensure that media literacy becomes a core component of the Curriculum and Assessment Review in the context of generative AI.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central to the answer of 1 May 2025 to Question 47184 .
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of poor media literacy skills on young people's (a) employability and (b) workplace readiness.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
According to the Essential Digital Skills Framework, media literacy-related skills, including understanding online risks, are essential for work. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has worked with FutureDotNow to analyse the benefits of essential digital skills for earnings and employability, with findings being published shortly.
The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps towards delivering digital inclusion and media literacy for everyone in the UK. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is also considering how young people will acquire the digital skills needed for future life, with the interim report highlighting the need for a renewed focus on media literacy.