Asked by: Jacob Collier (Labour - Burton and Uttoxeter)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to shorten the time taken to issue Remediable Service Statements to members of the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is working closely with the scheme administrator to process Remediable Service Statements (RSSs) as quickly and efficiently as possible. Several factors have affected the original delivery timeline, including technical dependencies, regulatory requirements, coordination with external partners and preparation for a transition of contractor.
The department continues to monitor progress and is working closely with the scheme administrator to streamline processes and introduce automation where possible. Any pension adjustments arising from members’ choices will be backdated with interest to ensure members are not financially disadvantaged.
The administrator will keep affected members informed of revised timelines through established channels, including My Pension Online and its website. The latest update is available at: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/news/public-news/2025/11/timeline-for-sending-out-remediable-service-statements-rss.aspx.
As responsibility for this work transitions to the new administrator of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in summer 2026, the department is working with the new administrator to finalise the timeline for issuing all RSSs. Once the timeline is confirmed, it will be communicated to relevant members.
Asked by: Jacob Collier (Labour - Burton and Uttoxeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the shortage of secure HGV parking on the haulage industry.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department recognises that a shortage of secure HGV parking can have impacts on the haulage industry, including on driver welfare.
A national survey of lorry parking is underway which will provide a fresh baseline on the availability of secure lorry parking and HGV driver welfare provision. The 2026 survey is scheduled to be published in the autumn.
The survey was last conducted in 2022 and provided the evidence base for the design of the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme. With industry, this scheme is delivering up to £35.7 million in joint investment to enhance truck stops across England. The Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of the scheme to consider its application and delivery process, the role of the scheme in improving lorry driver facilities, including security, in England and the impact of the site improvements for drivers. This analysis is underway and due to be finalised in Summer 2026.
Asked by: Jacob Collier (Labour - Burton and Uttoxeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the logistics and haulage industry on improving welfare facilities for HGV drivers.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Department for Transport ministers and officials hold regular discussions with representatives from the logistics and haulage industry to understand the sector’s priorities, including for improving driver welfare and rest facilities.
The Freight Council met on the 11 February under the chair of the Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security and was an opportunity for the industry to raise concerns, including on welfare facilities for HGV drivers.
More recently, on the 25 February the Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security and the Policing Minister Sarah Jones jointly hosted a freight roundtable with representatives from the haulage sector, trade bodies and police in attendance. Ministers heard directly from the sector on their concerns relating to freight crime including HGV parking and drivers' welfare.
Asked by: Jacob Collier (Labour - Burton and Uttoxeter)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to involve young people in the co-production of local youth services.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Co-produced with 14,000 young people, ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ is a 10 year plan to ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of.
A key focus of the Strategy is to empower young people, placing them in the driving seat of designing local youth services. We are ensuring local authorities co-design their local youth offers with young people to meet their needs.
Asked by: Jacob Collier (Labour - Burton and Uttoxeter)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure a place-based approach to funding of youth services.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The National Youth Strategy includes a shift from national to local. This will renew focus on the role, capability, and leadership of local authorities, with a place-based approach to funding to empower local communities and young people in designing their local youth offers. Through this approach, we are committed to ensuring funding reaches those most in need across the length and breadth of England.
The £70m Local Youth Transformation programme is improving local authorities’ capability to rebuild a high-quality youth offer and develop a network of 50 Young Futures Hubs. We are also simplifying local authority grant funding across government and consolidating local funding for young people and families where possible. This provides greater local flexibility and sustainability.
Asked by: Jacob Collier (Labour - Burton and Uttoxeter)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide an update on the consideration of transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement, following the consultation that closed on 12th.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The consultation for the earned settlement model, as proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was open to the public between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026.
We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement.
Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly. As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both economic and equality impact assessments.
Asked by: Jacob Collier (Labour - Burton and Uttoxeter)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that local authorities meet the ambition that 2% of the drug and alcohol treatment population are accessing residential treatment.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, including residential treatment, and for commissioning services to meet these needs. The Department set an ambition that 2% of the drug and alcohol treatment population should be accessing residential treatment. We remain committed to this ambition and continue to work with the sector to achieve this. We have asked every local authority to set a local target that contributes to this ambition.
Earlier this year, the Department launched the self-assessment toolkit to help local areas to improve the residential drug and alcohol treatment that they commission, which can be found at the following link:
The Department of Health and Social Care facilitates a residential treatment provider forum and engages in annual planning for local authorities and partners, including target-setting for residential episodes. The Department also maintains regular engagement with the English Substance Use Commissioners Group and holds joint meetings with the Ministry of Justice to explore improved pathways from the criminal justice system into residential treatment.
We are providing local authorities with £3.4 billion ringfenced funding over the next three years for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. This first multi-year settlement in over a decade gives local authorities the certainty to plan and invest for the medium term.
Asked by: Jacob Collier (Labour - Burton and Uttoxeter)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the (a) adequacy of the eligibility criteria for (i) free covid-19 vaccinations and (ii) access to covid-19 antiviral treatments for people with lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) consistency of eligibility criteria used by general practices, community pharmacies and NHS 111 in England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.
The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.
The focus of the JCVI’s advised programme has therefore moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed. The Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:
The COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book on immunisation against infectious disease sets out guidance on the eligibility criteria above. This is signposted to all providers to ensure consistency. As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidance that recommends several antivirals for the treatment of COVID-19, both in the community and for patients in hospital. This guidance sets out the eligibility criteria and ensures that patients who are at the highest risk of developing severe disease from COVID-19 have access to clinically- and cost-effective treatments.
Asked by: Jacob Collier (Labour - Burton and Uttoxeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's joint press notice entitled Mirror, signal, manoeuvres: Military driving examiners mobilised to cut test backlog, published on 12 November 2025, which areas the military driving examiners will be deployed to.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has accepted the resource of Defence Driving Examiners (DDEs), to be based at the driving test centres with the highest demand near their MOD base or home location.
Asked by: Jacob Collier (Labour - Burton and Uttoxeter)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of restricting the resale of driving tests on (a) levels of access to and (b) the cost of driving tests.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) understands the impact, including the financial implications, the reselling of practical driving tests is having on learner drivers.
On 28 May, DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The consultation closed on 23 July. DVSA is reviewing the feedback given and will announce the next steps as soon as possible.
Further information on the consultation can be found at:
The consultation is about changing the rules on how car driving tests can be booked and managed. It looks at how to make test booking fairer, including the possibility of stopping people charging extra fees to book tests and simplifying the system for learners and approved driving instructors. Any additional measures will only be introduced if it is considered appropriate to do so to support the continued delivery of the driver testing service and following public consultation.
All available driving test appointments are shown on DVSA’s live booking system, and as well as releasing tests on a rolling 24-week basis on a Monday, additional appointments are released throughout the week. As new test appointments appear on the booking service at different times of the day and through the week, DVSA advises candidates to continue to check for earlier appointments.
DVSA encourages learner drivers to only use the official GOV.UK website to book and manage their driving test. DVSA has published advice aimed at learner drivers warning them of the risks of using third party services/apps to book a practical driving test. Further information can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/news/learner-drivers-warned-about-the-risks-of-driving-test-cancellation-finders.