Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to (a) identify and (b) address barriers to separated families setting up maintenance arrangements through the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) supports separated parents to work together in the interests of their children and to set up a child maintenance arrangement that is right for them.
Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance is an online service that provides free information and support to help parents make decisions about CM and make a CMS application if they choose to.
Applications to the CMS have been increasing. In the 12 months to September 2024, there has been a 13% increase in applications compared to the previous 12 months.
Legislation to remove the £20 application fee was introduced in February 2024, removing a financial barrier to parents wishing to access the CMS.
A consultation on proposed reforms to the CMS was published by the previous Government on 8 May 2024. This included removing Direct Pay and managing all CMS cases in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster and explore how victims and survivors of domestic abuse can be better supported.
The consultation also sought views on how we can ensure parents can access resources and support to help separated families agree on child support arrangements.
The consultation was extended by the Government at the end of July and ran until 30th September 2024.
We are analysing the responses we have received, and the Government will publish a response in due course.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to widen the eligibility criteria for a (a) free and (b) discounted TV licence.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As part of the next Charter Review, the government will engage with the BBC and others to consider how to ensure the BBC thrives well into the next decade and beyond. This will include discussions on a range of important issues, including how we ensure that there is a sustainable funding model that is fair for those who pay for it.
In the meantime, the Government will be legislating to expand the Simple Payment Plan, to enable more households in financial hardship to pay their TV licence in flexible fortnightly or monthly installments.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people aged under 21 have opened lifetime ISAs in the last 12 months.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Information on Lifetime ISAs can be found in HMRC’s Annual Savings Statistics, available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/annual-savings-statistics
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of spirometry tests carried out in Community Diagnostic Centres in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not currently hold validated data on the number of spirometry tests carried out in Community Diagnostic Centres. NHS England publishes data quarterly detailing the total activity carried out in Community Diagnostic Centres nationally, although this does not include activity by specific test type. Further information is available at the following link:
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Gingerbread report entitled Fix the Child Maintenance Service, published on 25 November 2024, what assessment she has made of the impact of non-receipt of child maintenance on child poverty levels.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to encouraging parents to meet their responsibilities to provide their children with the financial support they need to get a good start in life. Child Maintenance payments from both CMS and family-based arrangements keep 160,000 children out of poverty each year. The CMS has a low percentage of unpaid maintenance. 8% of the total maintenance due to be paid since the CMS began remains to be collected.
The CMS has recently consulted on significant reforms and responses are being analysed. Proposals included removing the Direct Pay service and managing all CMS cases in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster. The Government will publish a response in due course.
The CMS continues to engage regularly with stakeholders, including Gingerbread, as we consider reform.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the safety of teachers.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Teachers should not be subjected to any form of abuse simply for doing their jobs. Any form of violence in school is completely unacceptable and should not be tolerated.
All school employers, including trusts, have a duty to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their employees.
By law, schools must have a behaviour policy. It is for school leaders to develop and implement behaviour policies that work for their own schools and school community. Any policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable, and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010, Education and Inspections Act 2006, and Human Rights Act 1998.
While the department expects schools to take immediate and robust action if incidents of violence occur, any decision on how to sanction the pupil involved is a matter for the school. In the most serious cases, suspensions and permanent exclusion may be necessary to ensure that teachers and pupils are protected from disruption and to maintain safe, calm environments. Should the incident constitute a criminal offence, the school should report it to the police.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Department for Economy on Northern Ireland growth deals.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The UK Government is investing £617m through the four City and Growth Deals which cover the whole of Northern Ireland.
My officials meet regularly with their counterparts from the Northern Ireland Departments of Economy and Finance to discuss delivery of the four Northern Ireland growth deals and to maximise the use of this funding for the long-term economic growth of Northern Ireland.
I have met with a range of stakeholders and delivery partners, including the First Minister, deputy First Minister and Minister of Finance to discuss the City and Growth Deals. I was delighted to recently sign the Mid South West Growth Deal’s Heads of Terms Document in Cookstown. The signing was a fantastic culmination of the collective efforts of the local councils involved and a demonstration of what can be achieved when we work together.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Holy See on the future of the Tridentine Mass at the Chartres pilgrimage in France.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This is an internal matter for the Catholic Church. We continue to engage the Holy See regularly bilaterally and in multilateral fora on areas of mutual interest. Most recently, on 27 November Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner met Cardinal Parolin, with whom she discussed homelessness, inter-faith dialogue and climate.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will hold further discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on tackling violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
This Government is committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade, through a joined up approach across the UK. We have discussed this issue with the First and deputy First Minister, and with a range of civil society organisations working to tackle violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland. We will continue to work collaboratively with the Executive, as they implement the new Northern Ireland Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on tackling homelessness.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
MHCLG Ministers and officials engage regularly with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss a range of issues, including tackling homelessness.