Ian Byrne

The Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy (RSRS), sometimes referred to as the underoccupancy charge, applies to claims for housing support - either Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit - where the claimant is living in the social rented sector in a property that has more bedrooms than their benefit entitlement.

Easements are available which allow an additional bedroom to support disabled people and carers, the families of disabled children, foster carers, parents who adopt, parents of service personnel and people who have suffered a bereavement.

We continue to keep all policies under review, considering them against a range of factors, including the wider fiscal situation and fit with government missions.

Those unable to meet the shortfall in their rent can seek a Discretionary Housing Payment from their local authority.

Ministers will comply with requirements under the Public Sector Equality Duty as set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 for decisions in relation to the Ombudsman’s report.

As part of the get Britain working plan, more disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve.

Good quality work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. We want people to avoid poverty, and for this to happen we must ensure that disabled people and people with health conditions have the opportunity to work and save for as long as they wish and are able to.

Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group who need access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time. We have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including disabled Universal Credit claimants. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres, Access to Work grants and the Work and Health Programme, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.

Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, to thrive as part of the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme.

We are reviewing the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation.

We need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides including the points raised by representatives from the WASPI Campaign who I met recently, the first Government Minister to do so for 8 years.

Once this work has been undertaken, the Government will be in a position to outline its approach.

It is unacceptable that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. We are determined to change that.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, this Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment which will also help ease pressure on busy mental health services.

The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, some issues, including with some carbamazepine, lamotrigine, and oxcarbazepine presentations, have been resolved.

We are aware of an ongoing supply issue with all strengths of topiramate tablets with the resupply date to be confirmed. Other manufacturers of topiramate tablets can meet the increased demand during this time.

The Department is aware of supply constraints with one supplier of amantadine 100 milligram capsules used in the management of Parkinson’s disease, however stocks remain available from alternative suppliers to cover this demand.

The Department continues to work closely with industry, the National Health Service and others to help ensure patients continue to have access to an alternative treatment until their usual product is back in stock.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes supporting people with sight loss to develop practical skills and strategies to maintain independence.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is now assessing how local authorities are meeting the full range of their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. These assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for development, facilitating the sharing of good practice and helping us to target support where it is most needed. This means that sensory services, including vision rehabilitation, form part of the CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care. In that context, the CQC will report on sensory services when there is something important to highlight, for example, something being done well, innovative practice, or an area for improvement.

There has been no specific estimate made regarding the number of newborn babies losing their sight in one eye due to insufficient staffing levels. As per the National Health Service newborn and infant physical examination (NIPE) screening programme, the vision of newborn babies must be assessed within 72 hours of birth, and at the six-to-eight-week checkup. Further information on the NIPE is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/nhs-newborn-and-infant-physical-examination-nipe-screening-programme

We recognise the concerns around workforce shortages. Whilst change will not happen overnight, we are committed to training thousands more midwives to better support women and babies throughout pregnancy and beyond.

The responsibility for staffing levels should remain with clinical and other leaders at a local level, responding to local needs, supported by national and professional bodies’ guidelines, and regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

NHS England is working closely with the Independent Healthcare Providers Network and the wider sector to ensure we have appropriate mechanisms to track and monitor the independent sector’s impact on the long-term National Health Service capacity landscape. From October 2024, NHS England will be reporting independent sector activity data based on the Secondary Uses Service data submissions, to which a large number of independent sector provider sites currently report. This will therefore enable us to more fully capture the sector’s activity.

NHS England continues to explore opportunities for the independent sector to support the NHS in the areas of greatest need, including in diagnostics and the most challenged specialties, while ensuring that NHS care remains free at the point of use. NHS England meets regularly with all independent sector providers to encourage this collaborative working.

The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding, including the FCDO John Bunyan Fund, a designated programme for FoRB-focused overseas projects. The appointment of David Smith MP as the Special Envoy for FoRB is a clear signal of the UK's ongoing commitment to these efforts.

This Government is committed to the promotion, protection and realisation of children's rights. We know that children are disproportionately at risk from the effects of climate change, and children and young people will be at the forefront of shaping a resilient, sustainable future. The UK-led Glasgow Climate Pact urges Parties and stakeholders to ensure meaningful youth participation and representation in multilateral, national and local decision-making processes. We championed this approach at COP29, where I met with youth climate activists from developing countries, and where UK Special Representative for Climate Rachel Kyte attended events alongside universities and the UN Youth Office to highlight the critical role of youth in climate action.

We work to protect and promote human rights in Pakistan through our diplomatic engagement and programme funding. The UK will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people as laid down in Pakistan's Constitution and in accordance with international standards. I (Minister Falconer) underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when I met with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Azam Tarar on 19 November. On 20 November, I attended a meeting with Pakistan's Minister of Interior Mosin Naqvi, where the British High Commissioner and I raised concerns about threats of violence directed towards Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan.

We remain gravely concerned about the deteriorating health provision in Gaza, particularly in the north. It is unacceptable that northern Gaza now has no fully functioning hospitals. On 5 November, I reiterated this in a call with Israel's Ambassador to the UK. At a UK-chaired meeting of the UN Security Council on 12 November, Lord Collins expressed our condemnation of Israel's ongoing aid restrictions. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary pressed Israel to increase aid flow in calls with their counterparts on 19 and 27 October. This Government is clear that Israel must also do much more to protect civilians, healthcare infrastructure and humanitarian workers, including the medics northern Gaza desperately needs. The UK is supporting the provision of essential healthcare to Palestinians, including through field hospitals operated by UK-Med in Gaza, and through support to the Egyptian health ministry to care for medically evacuated Palestinians.

It is the UK's long-standing policy that any determination as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, and not for governments or non-judicial bodies. This approach ensures that any determination is above politics, lobbying and individual or national interest.

Under the Sovereign Grant Act 2011, the Sovereign Grant is determined in accordance with a formula. That formula operates with a reference to a percentage of The Crown Estate’s profits two financial years previously. The percentage is currently set at 12 per cent. In exchange for the Sovereign Grant, the Monarch surrenders the revenue from The Crown Estate to the government – more than £4 billion over the last ten years.

Regarding support for low-income families, the government is announcing measures to support households who face the greatest hardships. This package of measures will improve economic security and resilience for those who need it most.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced the Fair Repayment Rate which lowers the cap on deductions in Universal Credit to 15 per cent of the standard allowance from April 2025. This will benefit 1.2 million households, with families expected to be better off by around £420 a year on average. This measure supports the government’s ambition to tackle child poverty – with 700,000 of the poorest families with children benefitting as a result of this change.

In addition, the Government will provide £1 billion (including Barnett impact) to extend the Household Support Fund in England, and Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales. This will help individuals and families facing the greatest hardship, including supporting them with the cost of essentials such as food, energy and housing. This builds on the previous investment of £500 million (including Barnett impact) to extend the Household Support Fund to 31 March 2025.

I would like to refer the Honourable Member to the written answer I gave to the Honourable Member for Stroud on 29 November 2024 (UIN 15894).

The Home Office is committed to ensuring everyone, including the elderly, people with low English language ability and the most vulnerable, are properly supported as we transform our immigration system.

People can nominate a ‘helper’ and give them limited access to their account, so that they can assist with creating a UKVI account, completing details to access an eVisa, and with any immigration application.

Where a person is unable to manage their own affairs due to, for example, age or disability, a ‘proxy’, who is authorised, can create and manage the account on behalf of the person. People can also contact the UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre (https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk for support via email and webchat, and telephone. They can also support people through the online journey by helping them to access or recover their account, update their personal details and assisting them with technical issues with their online immigration status, and where necessary, verify the person’s status through alternative means.

For those inside the UK our Assisted Digital service is available to provide support by phone and email to those who need help with IT-related aspects of creating a UKVI account. Access needs can include any disability that requires support to use online services, a lack of device or a lack of internet access. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/assisted-digital-help-online-application

We are also taking further steps to reduce the number of circumstances where people need to provide evidence of their immigration status, by developing services to make the relevant immigration status information available automatically through system to system checks with other government departments and the NHS.

We have ensured that the wording used to explain how to create a UVKI account and get access to an eVisa is simple and can be easily translated using various free online services. In consultation with stakeholders, we are also considering providing some information about the transition to eVisas in other languages.

We are also working closely with our partner agencies in delivering engagement activity with community groups, as they will be producing guidance materials translated into key languages.

On 18 September 2024, we announced that the Government is providing up to £4m in dedicated grant funding to a UK wide network of voluntary and community sector organisations to deliver valuable support to those who need it, during the transition from physical immigration documents to eVisas. The list of organisations is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evisa-community-support-for-vulnerable-people.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected.

The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy.

We have also established an Expert Group to bring together representatives from across the homelessness and rough sleeping sector, local and combined authorities and wider experts. The role of this expert group is to provide knowledge, analysis and challenge to help Government understand what is working well nationally and locally and where improvements are needed.

As well as work on the Inter-Ministerial Group and Expert Group we are also working closely with the sector to deliver a number of lived experience forums to ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are reflected in the homelessness strategy. We will continue to meet with a range of stakeholders, including mayors and MPs, to make sure the strategy is informed by a range of expertise.