Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of proposed staff cuts of staff employed as research analysts in the Middle East, in the context of the developing situation in the countries impacted; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO2030 reform programme is designed to ensure the department is able to rise to the challenges of a rapidly changing world, and a constrained fiscal environment. This is an unprecedented transformation, driven by the objective to become a more agile, technologically enabled organisation, focused on the UK's strategic priorities, including peace, stability and security in the Middle East. The FCDO remains in regular consultations with the Trade Union side on its reform proposals.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she is having with relevant trade unions on her Department’s reorganisation proposals; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO2030 reform programme is designed to ensure the department is able to rise to the challenges of a rapidly changing world, and a constrained fiscal environment. This is an unprecedented transformation, driven by the objective to become a more agile, technologically enabled organisation, focused on the UK's strategic priorities, including peace, stability and security in the Middle East. The FCDO remains in regular consultations with the Trade Union side on its reform proposals.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has held discussions with Ofwat on the form of public consultation on a deal for the control of Thames Water.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are working closely with Ofwat, who is evaluating the consortium’s proposals for Thames Water, to ensure that the best interests of customers and the environment are protected.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary regarding the application of merchant shipping regulations covering RFA merchant seafarers’ maternity and paternity rights.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence is committed to ensuring that the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) maintains a positive, equitable workplace for all seafarers. RFA employees benefit from comprehensive employment rights and conditions well exceeding Maritime Labour Convention standards, including robust maternity, paternity and wider welfare provisions. The RFA’s commitment to fair treatment, safety and inclusive support ensures all personnel are protected throughout their service.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Access to Work support worker funding rates fall below the cost of employment once National Insurance, pension contributions and holiday pay are included.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We do not hold data on the full employment costs of all Support Workers, including National Insurance, pension contributions and holiday pay. This is not information we routinely collect.
When setting our indicative payment rates, we aim to ensure value for money for taxpayers while continuing to provide effective support for disabled people in work.
Current Access to Work rate cards can be found on GOV.UK, where the latest versions are published. For the most up to date information –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-guide-for-employers
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will publish the Strategic Plan for the DWP Estate, and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department’s Strategic Plan for the DWP Estate is publicly available. It was most recently updated in December 2025. I would direct my Right Honourable Friend, the Member for Hayes and Harlington, to the publication on GOV.UK: Department for Work and Pensions Strategic Asset Management Plan - Executive Summary - GOV.UK.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
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 ensure that Access to Work enables Disabled people to remain in employment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are considering all aspects of the scheme as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation. In addition, available administrative data and management information will be utilised in shaping any proposals.
We have recently concluded (November) the Access to Work Collaboration Committees, in which we engaged with a range of stakeholders, including DPO representatives and lived experience users, to provide discussion, experience, and challenge to the design of the future Access to Work Scheme.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide an update on the commercial sale of the former RFA vessels (a) Wave Knight and (b) Wave Ruler.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
A Sale Agreement for RFA WAVE RULER and RFA WAVE KNIGHT was signed in January 2026; Inocea Shipholding Ltd (ISL) has purchased the former RFA vessels and will be reactivating them for service.
I am unable to release further detail of the Sale Agreement at this time.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his department has made of the number of Disabled people who have lost employment due to delays or reductions in Access to Work support.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not collect such data as the programme only supports people in, or about to start, employment.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of recovering the total cost of civil servants supporting the Civil Service Pension Scheme recovery plan from Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve. While HM Government is bearing the initial costs to protect vulnerable members and restore service requirements, it has not provided a fixed monthly estimate for the next 12 months. This is because formal commercial discussions with Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd in relation to the costs of this government intervention will commence once the service has successfully stabilised.
We are applying contractual levers available to us to deal with performance failures, and we continue to explore all commercial avenues to hold them to account for the quality of their delivery. For example, existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita’s performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
The Cabinet Office does not provide training to staff employed by Capita Pensions Solutions Ltd; instead, the contractor is responsible for ensuring its workforce meets the required proficiency standards. Staff must complete a training programme covering both systems and soft skills, with mandatory sign-offs required before they are permitted to handle specific case types. For sensitive cases involving bereaved individuals, Capita utilises a dedicated team where staff only progress to these complex queries after passing rigorous performance assessments.