Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, (i) if she is aware of the issues that some residents have encountered in creating a GOV.UK One Login, and (ii) what steps she is taking to improve the process of doing so.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
GOV.UK One Login is committed to making identity verification simple, inclusive and secure, enabling people to access government services while protecting them and the Government from fraud. While we expect GOV.UK One Login to become the primary method for accessing online government services, departments will continue to provide offline alternatives for those who prefer or are unable to use digital channels.
While most users successfully prove their identity, we recognise that some experience difficulties. The service is used by millions, and we continually monitor feedback, complaints and performance data to identify issues and drive improvements.
We are enhancing guidance, refining the user journey and introducing new identity verification routes to meet different user needs. Support is available through our contact centre and technical service desk for users who require assistance.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether any decision-making process regarding switching off the UK's digital terrestrial television will take into account the impact on rural areas with poor broadband quality.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Digital inclusion and ensuring that all households across the country have access to high-quality, reliable broadband is a priority for the Government. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to ensure that all aspects of digital inclusion, including those relating to rural communities, are considered as part of any decisions we make on the future of digital terrestrial television.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to make it easier to re-apply for a postal vote, including the process of uploading a signature.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is committed to ensuring the process for applying or re-applying for a postal vote is as accessible and straightforward as possible. Our online absent voting application service continues to undergo extensive user research and testing with members of the public, including older, less digitally confident and disabled electors, to ensure the service works effectively for a wide range of users.
As part of these improvements, the service now includes functionality allowing applicants to rotate their uploaded signature image. This helps users who may have scanned or photographed their signature in the wrong orientation and makes it easier to submit an application successfully. Insights from ongoing research will continue to inform further refinements to improve usability.
It is also possible to apply for a postal vote using a paper form, and guidance on how to do so is available on the Gov.uk website. This guidance includes an option to download the relevant paper form. It also includes a tool to allow individuals to look up the contact details for their local electoral registration office, so that they may telephone, email or write to them to request that a paper form be posted to them.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has assessed the merits of lowering the earnings requirement for a family visa.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) was raised in April 2024 from £18,600 to £29,000. This was the first time it had been increased since its introduction.
To help ensure we reach the right balance and have a solid evidence base for any change, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) was commissioned to review the financial requirements in the Family Immigration Rules.
Conducting a full review of the financial requirements across the family routes will ensure we have a clear and consistent system. The MAC has published their independent review of the financial requirements across the family routes.
There is no set date for when we will respond to the MAC report. However, the MAC’s recommendations are being considered in detail alongside the work being carried out as a result of the Immigration White Paper (Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper - GOV.UK) which made clear that family migration would be reformed to tackle the over complex family immigration arrangements, including the financial requirements. An announcement will be made in due course.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
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 to help ensure that all surgeons, including private surgeons, record the implants they have done in the Breast Implant Registry.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of (i) requiring administrators and executors of estates to file a copy of the estate accounts with the Probate Registry and (ii) creating a central registry of wills.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Personal representatives (the umbrella term for anyone legally responsible for administering a deceased person’s estate) have a statutory duty to administer the estate lawfully. They must act in beneficiaries’ best interests and keep clear, separate estate accounts as a matter of good practice. Accurate records are essential because the court may require, sworn on oath, a full inventory of the estate and a detailed account of the administration. Any interested party can apply for such an order, enabling scrutiny of how the estate has been managed and informing whether further action against the personal representative is appropriate.
The Government is not aware of any problems with personal representative accountability mechanisms and has no plans to change them.
There is no compulsory will registration system in England and Wales, though testators may voluntarily register a will with certain public or private bodies. The Principal Registry offers a public scheme allowing wills to be deposited and stored for a £23 fee, with a certificate issued
The Law Commission considered compulsory registration as part of their review of the Law of Wills but concluded it would add unnecessary complexity to the will‑making process as well as raise uncertainty over the validity of unregistered wills, including reduced flexibility for testators making wills near death.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that estates are distributed to beneficiaries within a reasonable timeframe after probate has been granted.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
There is no maximum time limit in which personal representatives must distribute an estate after probate has been granted.
A personal representative is under a statutory duty to administer the deceased person’s estate according to the law and without undue delay. He or she must safeguard the estate and, with due diligence, collect and realise the assets, pay the deceased person’s debts, and distribute the legacies and the residue of the estate to the beneficiaries entitled in accordance with the will. Personal representatives can be held liable if they mis-administer the estate.
There are legitimate reasons why it may take time to fully distribute an estate. For example, it may require the sale of a property, the settling of tax issues or administering assets outside of the UK. Other reasons that personal representatives may delay the distribution of the estate include waiting out the time limit for family provision claims under the Inheritance Act 1975 and for creditors to bring claims against the estate.
If beneficiaries have concerns about the administration of the estate, they can make an application to the court to compel a personal representative to provide an inventory and account of their administration of an estate. In addition, applications can be made to remove and replace a personal executive where there are grounds to do so.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve family visa waiting times.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, including service standards for processing visa applications, where applicable. The department is also in the process of implementing technology changes to improve efficiency and support faster processing of family visa applications.
Processing times for family visa applications are published on GOV.UK for both applications made inside the UK and applications made outside the UK
Applicants on certain family routes may choose to use optional priority or super priority services, where available, for an additional fee to receive a faster decision on their application.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason Access to Work decisions are not subject to appeal.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Although discretionary grant payments do not come with a right of appeal, Access to Work customers who disagree with their award can have their award decision reconsidered by a different case manager to ensure fairness and consistency within the scheme.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of foreign passports no longer being held by the Passport Office for the duration of the family visa application process.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
With the introduction of the eVisa digital permission, eligible customers can now complete their biometric appointment at the Visa Application Centre (VAC) and retain their passport. Customers applying under family routes have retained their passports whilst their visa application is being processed since October 2025. This allows them to apply for visas for other countries, travel overseas and use their passport to confirm their identity for other purposes or demonstrate their status if living in a third country during this period.