Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to promote apprenticeships in the construction industry.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, backed by an additional £725 million investment, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers and more opportunities for young people. It will align with the industrial strategy, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, such as construction.
Construction is one of the key sectors that will benefit from new foundation apprenticeships with three standards, including onsite trades, launched in August 2025. These foundation apprenticeships will support more young people to begin their careers in the construction industry and allow them to then progress and specialise in advanced apprenticeships. Employers will be provided with up to £2,000 for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain in the construction industry.
The industry will also benefit from around 5,000 more construction apprenticeship places being made available per financial year by 2027-28 thanks to a £140 million industry investment and the creation of 32 pioneering new homebuilding skills hubs.
In addition, the government is investing £625 million in construction skills over this Parliament, with the aim of delivering up to 60,000 additional skilled workers and supporting employers to invest in training. This funding is designed to expand apprenticeship opportunities, improve access to training, and ensure the workforce is equipped to meet the demands of a modern, safe, and productive construction sector.
The industry-led Construction Skills Mission Board is also working to create construction job opportunities to meet the government’s announced infrastructure and built environment commitments.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department have been employed for the purpose of making social media content in each of the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Due to the difficulty of disaggregating the number of staff who are employed to produce social media content from staff who are employed to work on broader digital communications, it is not possible to report exact figures in response to this question.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on the number of civil servants employed on temporary contracts is published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics as part of the quarterly Public Sector Employment statistics. Information can be accessed for September 2025 at the following web address:
Departmental expenditure on consultancy is published within the Annual Report and Accounts. The latest report for FY 2024/25 can be found at the following web address:
DWP annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 support older people experiencing financial hardship in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The State Pension remains the foundation of our support for pensioners, and our commitment to maintain the Triple Lock throughout this Parliament will ensure its value continues to rise over time. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the basic and new State Pensions will, increase by 4.8% in April 2026, benefitting over 12 million pensioners by up to £575. It also means The new State Pension is set to rise by over £2,000 over this Parliament.
Pension Credit continues to provide vital financial support for pensioners who, for whatever reason, find themselves on a low income. It does this by guaranteeing a minimum level of income – called the Standard Minimum Guarantee – which will also, subject to Parliamentary approval, increase by 4.8%, protecting the most vulnerable pensioners.
Crucially, receipt of Pension Credit also opens the door to other financial support, including Housing Benefit, Council Tax support and help with NHS costs as well as help with fuel bills and a free TV licence for those over 75. Maximising the take-up of Pension Credit remains a key priority. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign, promoting Pension Credit to eligible pensioners and their family and friends. The latest campaign burst started in September and activity is planned until the end of the financial year.
Our campaign features adverts on television and ‘video on demand’, radio (including Greatest Hits radio, Hits Radio Lincolnshire, Classic FM and Smooth), social media, digital screens in GP surgeries and Post Offices (13 locations in Lincolnshire), as well as press activity (including advertorials in the Lincolnshire Echo, Grantham Journal, Lincolnshire Free Press, Spalding Guardian and the Stamford Mercury).
For households facing financial hardship, the Household Support Fund remains available, with funding extended to March 2026.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people use the Motability scheme in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
At the end of July 2025 (latest available data), 1,240 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants had active contracts with the Motability Scheme in South Holland and The Deepings constituency, and 9,510 PIP claimants had active contracts with the Motability Scheme in Lincolnshire.
Data about Motability receipt based on other benefits such as Disability Living Allowance is not available centrally for analysis.
Notes:
- Values have been rounded to the nearest 10.
- Figures provided include both Normal Rules and Special Rules for End of Life claimants.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) single sex and (b) gender neutral bathroom facilities his Department provides in its Whitehall premises.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The DWP’s main Whitehall building, Caxton House has 84 single sex cubicles, 34 urinals and 0 non-gendered universal toilets (individual self-contained lockable toilet rooms which contain a toilet, washbasin and hand-drying facilities). This is in addition to 26 wheelchair accessible toilets.
Caxton House does not have any gender neutral toilets (i.e. toilets where users, of any gender, share a single space containing toilet cubicles, urinal facilities and shared hand washing facilities).
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the titles of all the events organised by Civil Service networks in his Department since 2017.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding her Department has provided for the provision of English for Speakers of Other Language courses in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps his Department has taken to support jobseekers in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Spalding JCP have arrangements in place with Boston College to come into their site on a fortnightly basis to provide Information, Advice & Guidance & links for customers to their Adult Skills Courses.
Lincolnshire Voluntary Services are also monthly visitors to Spalding JCP who come in to relay their current local volunteering offers to a wide range of customers, particularly those with health conditions, from which they can gain work experience & increase their confidence in progression towards the labour market.
Spalding JCP have also commissioned delivery of digital support to their 50+ customers aimed at increasing their confidence in using digital platforms for work search & training & also obtaining best value products to assist with cost of living rises. The latest cohort ran from 26th Sept & ended 10th October, with a new cohort due to start in November.
Finally, planning is already ongoing for an upcoming event run in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council Adult Skills Team called ‘Grow Your Skills’ whereby the skills providers funded by LCC in the local area are given an opportunity to showcase their offers to adults in the area. JCP connect their customers & their network of partners to those events to facilitate their connection to Skills, Opportunities, Jobs & Support.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 potential impact of reducing levels of funding for level 7 apprenticeships on the number of nurses in training.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings to the answer to Question 83834.