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 communication between the Child Maintenance Service and service users to reduce the number of disputes progressing to appeal; and what assessment they have made of the impact of delays in resolving child maintenance disputes on the financial stability of separated families.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department has made no specific assessment of the cost to the public purse of Child Maintenance Service (CMS) cases progressing to tribunal where decisions are subsequently revised. However, it does keep CMS processes under review to support accurate decision making and the effective resolution of disputes, including reviewing tribunal decisions. Individuals who disagree with a CMS decision, may seek a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) to review the decision made. This information is available in ‘Table 9: Mandatory Reconsiderations, Great Britain, April 2015 to June 2026’ of the latest CMS tables.

At the conclusion of this process parents are notified of whether a decision will be revised or not and the reasoning for this decision. Subsequently, if they are still dissatisfied with the decision, and they appeal to HMCTS, the Department has 42 days to prepare their appeal response or lapse the appeal as necessary. The Department cannot restrict the rights of either parent, irrespective of the potential outcome. At either the MR or appeal stage all parents who are impacted by a decision have the right to raise a dispute and the opportunity to present new evidence (whether the dispute was raised by them or another party). This can present situations where, for instance, a Paying Parent disputes a decision at the MR stage which is revised and subsequently the Receiving Parent appeals that decision.

The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact that delays in resolving child maintenance disputes have on the financial stability of separated families. However, where customers raise concerns about financial hardship or vulnerability, the CMS will provide appropriate support based on the circumstances of the case. This may include signposting parents to external organisations and charitable bodies that can offer independent financial guidance, debt advice, or other support services where child maintenance payments are not being received or are unaffordable. The support provided will depend on the individual circumstances of the customer and the nature of the concerns raised.

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 cost to the public purse of Child Maintenance Service cases repeatedly progressing to tribunal where decisions are subsequently revised, withdrawn or conceded; and whether he plans to review processes to reduce avoidable tribunal proceedings.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department has made no specific assessment of the cost to the public purse of Child Maintenance Service (CMS) cases progressing to tribunal where decisions are subsequently revised. However, it does keep CMS processes under review to support accurate decision making and the effective resolution of disputes, including reviewing tribunal decisions. Individuals who disagree with a CMS decision, may seek a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) to review the decision made. This information is available in ‘Table 9: Mandatory Reconsiderations, Great Britain, April 2015 to June 2026’ of the latest CMS tables.

At the conclusion of this process parents are notified of whether a decision will be revised or not and the reasoning for this decision. Subsequently, if they are still dissatisfied with the decision, and they appeal to HMCTS, the Department has 42 days to prepare their appeal response or lapse the appeal as necessary. The Department cannot restrict the rights of either parent, irrespective of the potential outcome. At either the MR or appeal stage all parents who are impacted by a decision have the right to raise a dispute and the opportunity to present new evidence (whether the dispute was raised by them or another party). This can present situations where, for instance, a Paying Parent disputes a decision at the MR stage which is revised and subsequently the Receiving Parent appeals that decision.

The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact that delays in resolving child maintenance disputes have on the financial stability of separated families. However, where customers raise concerns about financial hardship or vulnerability, the CMS will provide appropriate support based on the circumstances of the case. This may include signposting parents to external organisations and charitable bodies that can offer independent financial guidance, debt advice, or other support services where child maintenance payments are not being received or are unaffordable. The support provided will depend on the individual circumstances of the customer and the nature of the concerns raised.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the difference between the Universal Infant Free School Meals funding rate and the average cost of meal provision charged by catering providers; and whether she intends to increase the funding rate to reflect rising food and operational costs.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The cost of providing a school meal varies between schools and catering providers, reflecting differences in local circumstances, operating models, procurement arrangements and contractual terms.

Universal infant free school meals are funded through a separate grant at a rate of £505 per eligible pupil, which assumes that each pupil takes 190 meals over an academic year. The government is committed to ensuring that eligible pupils receive a nutritious meal during the school day and that schools retain flexibility to determine the catering arrangements that best meet their needs. Schools can access procurement support through the Get Help Buying for Schools service.

The department is working across government to address rising costs. We continue to engage with the sector to understand costs to caterers and schools and to support delivery of school food. As with all programmes, funding arrangements are kept under review as part of wider spending decisions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what training provision or guidance is given to Social Services staff regarding assessment of the welfare and needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, given the rise in diagnosis of ASD and other neurodivergent conditions, and the differences in presentation these may cause.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues relating to the current provision of services in this area.

The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year, which will be relevant to the issues raised by the Hon Member. The Government remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of NHS eligibility criteria for prescribing GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines for obesity in meeting meet the needs of patients whose obesity is attributable to an underlying endocrine disorder or other medically recognised condition; and if she will consider introducing greater clinical flexibility and funding within NHS prescribing guidance to enable specialist consultants to approve treatment in exceptional cases where obesity is a consequence of a complex underlying medical condition.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Patients with obesity associated with an underlying medical condition may fall within the licensed indications for the licensed GLP-1 medicines.

Three types of GLP-1 medicines (liraglutide, semaglutide and tirzepatide) have been recommended through the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal process for the management of overweight and obesity. The recommendations vary according to the specific GLP-1 drug and the eligibility criteria for each is summarised in the NICE guideline on the management of overweight and obesity, including weight-related comorbidities.

Prescribers should exercise their clinical judgement in determining whether a licensed and NICE-recommended treatment is appropriate for an individual patient.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department’s policy is on the sustainability requirements of imported charcoal; and whether there are plans in place to protect UK producers of charcoal from being impacted by imports.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The government is strengthening its approach to tackling deforestation in UK supply chains. As wood is one of the commodities intended to be covered by the proposed measures, the Government is considering the treatment of specific wood-based products, including charcoal, as policy development continues and ahead of consultation.

The proposed regulations would apply to the use of regulated products in commercial activity, whether imported or supplied domestically, and so will not unfairly favour importers of regulated products over domestic producers.

The approach to defining the specific products in scope will be set out in government's consultation for stakeholder feedback. We will seek views from businesses, civil society and international partners on our proposed policy.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will extend the developer remediation contract to require developers to (a) remediate structural defects and (b) meet the costs of interim safety measures, including waking watches and alarm systems, where those measures are made necessary by defects that developers find during remediation investigations.

Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

We are not planning to re-open the Developer Remediation Contract. 53 developers have made contractual commitments to remediate or pay to remediate over 2,600 buildings with life-critical fire safety defects, at a cost to themselves of around £4.2bn. We expect those developers to accelerate progress without compromising safety.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has his Department made of the average costs incurred by jurors since 2011, and a) whether they plan to update remuneration for travel and subsistence costs to be in line with current government rates, and b) whether they have plans to revise the day rates claimable for loss of earning to reflect the rise in the National Minimum Wage.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Jury service is an important civic duty, and the Government is committed to ensuring jurors feel supported throughout their service.

Jurors do not receive direct payment for jury service but may claim allowances towards financial loss – albeit there has been no recent assessment or current plans to align juror travel and subsistence allowances with current government rates or to revise loss-of-earnings allowances to reflect increases in the National Minimum Wage. All support to jurors is kept under review to ensure it remains appropriate and accessible.

However, courts may be able to arrange to pay expenses during the trial if a juror is facing financial hardship. Applications for a deferral or excusal based upon financial hardship can also be made when summoned.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Public Service Pensions Remedy (McCloud remedy) on police officers who are transitioning between the 1987 Police Pension Scheme and the 2015 Career Average Revalued Earnings scheme; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that such officers are not subject to financial penalties when retiring at their originally expected retirement point.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Eligible members of the police pension scheme affected by the McCloud remedy will have the opportunity to make an individual choice at retirement based on the benefits they wish to receive. They will be provided with personalised benefits information to support the decision. This is also the approach for members of other reformed public service pension schemes who are eligible for the McCloud Remedy.

As part of the public service pension scheme reforms, the 2015 police pension scheme introduced valuable protections for the benefits that members have accrued in their legacy schemes (including the 1987 pension scheme): protecting the point at which they can draw those legacy benefits, maintaining a link to their final salary against their pensionable service and where applicable, a link to the enhanced accrual rate.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has instructed police forces or their pension administrators regarding support for officers impacted by the gap between legacy and reformed pension schemes; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 and associated police pension regulations established the framework for implementing the McCloud remedy in the Police Pension Scheme. On 26 March 2026, I made a Written Ministerial Statement confirming that changes will be made for a small cohort of members who opted out of the scheme before the remedy period and were therefore unable to benefit fully from the intended effect of the legislation

Chief Constables, in their capacity as scheme manager, are responsible for the day to day running of police pension schemes and communicating with its members. The Home Office works closely with Chief Constables, forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, providing the legislative and policy framework and supporting scheme managers with the implementation of the McCloud remedy for all affected members in relation to England and Wales.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the costs that leaseholders face for defects which lie outside the scope of the developer remediation contract.

Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has not made an estimate of the costs leaseholders face for defects that fall outside the scope of the Developer Remediation Contract.

However, leaseholders can benefit from protections under the Building Safety Act 2022, which limit or prevent many historical building safety remediation costs from being passed on to qualifying leaseholders. Where costs are not covered by the Contract, it may also be possible to pursue developers, landlords or associated companies through Remediation Contribution Orders or other redress measures established by the Act.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance has been issued to police pension scheme administrators on the provision of retirement benefit projections to officers affected by the McCloud remedy; and whether she plans to introduce minimum standards to ensure officers can make informed retirement decisions.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 and associated police pension regulations established a framework for the implementation of the McCloud remedy in the Police Pension Scheme.

The Home Office has worked closely with police forces and stakeholders to support the implementation of the remedy. The Chief Constable, as scheme manager, is responsible for the day-to-day administration, including pension calculations and estimates. They are supported by operational guidance developed by the National Police Chiefs’ Council to assist administrators in implementing the remedy.

There are currently no plans to introduce minimum standards.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will require developers that have signed the developer remediation contract to commission Type 2 fire risk assessments of the internal compartmentation of common parts in residential buildings over 11 metres, and Type 4 assessments inside flats where those surveys find defects.

Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Developers who signed the Developer Remediation Contract are obligated to remediate or pay to remediate external and internal life-critical fire safety defects due to the original design and construction in relevant building. In doing so, those developers must obtain fire safety assessments demonstrating that they have complied with their contractual obligations.

Those assessments may include Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (which must comply with PAS 9980) and other fire safety assessments (which must comply with relevant industry standards). The type of assessments needed will depend on the circumstances of the building. MHCLG regularly audits assessments obtained by developers to make sure that they comply with the contractual requirements. If an assessment is non-compliant, the developer is required to address this at its own expense.

Lesley Councill's service to Priorswood Community

Remembrance Day 2026

Neurodivergent educators

Student finance

UK Disability History Month

Arrest of Leicester journalists

World Menopause Day 2026

Orkney and Shetland girls’ participation in sport

Humanitarian situation in Russian-occupied Oleshky

Cancer treatment in rural areas

GSCE attainment gap and dyslexia