Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with multiple sclerosis on contributory Employment and Support Allowance are in the (i) Support Group and (ii) Work-Related Activity Group.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The following table shows the volume of people with multiple sclerosis as their primary condition who were claiming contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) by Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) and Support Group (SG) in May 2025.
| Volume |
WRAG | .. |
SG | 13,700 |
Notes:
- Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
- The data supplied is based on bespoke analysis of departmental datasets and has not been certified as National Statistics or Official Statistics.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to grant local authorities powers to apply local means-testing policies to the Disabled Facilities Grant budget.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In England, we continue to fund the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which is administered by local authorities. This grant helps eligible older and disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes to make them safe and suitable for their needs. Practical changes include installing stairlifts, level-access showers, and ramps.
Local authorities already have a significant amount of flexibility in how they deliver the DFG, including removing means testing for grants costing under a certain amount. Local authorities have flexibility on determining the level below which they wish to remove the means test.
We have provided an additional £172 million over two years to uplift the DFG, which could fund approximately 15,000 extra home adaptations. This brings total funding for the DFG to £711 million in each of 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Food Standard Agency’s official control charges on the viability of small and medium sized abattoirs.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Information on the 2025/26 charge rates for official controls, or inspections, conducted in meat premises is available on the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) website at the following link:
https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/charges-for-controls-in-meat-premises
As in previous years, the impact of charges will be offset by a discount which provides the greatest proportional support to smaller businesses. The impact of the discount on different sized food businesses in England and Wales for 2025/26 is set out in the Cost Data Slides the FSA has published.
The FSA has conducted an evaluation of the current discount scheme which began with a Call for Evidence in autumn 2024. Extensive stakeholder engagement and consideration by the FSA Board in its public meetings has followed which has informed proposals for a revised scheme. At its public meeting on 10 December, the FSA Board agreed to a full public consultation on proposals for a scheme that would direct more targeted support towards smaller abattoirs. The consultation is planned for spring 2026 and will be accompanied by an assessment of impact.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the National Farmers’ Union on small and medium sized abattoirs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra engages regularly with a number of key stakeholders, including the National Farmers’ Union, to discuss a wide range of farming issues which are important to both producers and processors.
Defra officials continue to work closely with small and medium sized abattoir sector stakeholders particularly through the Small Abattoirs Working Group, of which the National Farmers’ Union is a member. This group provides a platform for the industry to raise the key challenges and opportunities that the sector faces directly with the Department.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of adopting the unofficial Cold War Medal for UK veterans from the Cold War.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no plans to adopt an unofficial medal in recognition of UK military service during the Cold War.
In the UK, the granting of official Honours and Awards is made at the behest of His Majesty, The King who is advised by the Cabinet Office led Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals. In turn, this committee is advised on matters of historic military recognition, by the independent Advisory Military Sub-Committee, rather than the MOD.
The issue of generic medallic recognition for service during the Cold War was officially considered by Sir John Holmes as part of his review of Military Medals in 2012. The Review did not recommend that a Cold War medal should be introduced.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2025 to question 94597, what information his Department holds on the proportion of the 80,000 families affected by locked Child Trust Funds who will have gained access to those funds within the next three years.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice does not hold this information. Capacity to manage financial affairs is decision-specific and cannot be determined simply by reference to any disability or condition a person may have. Capacity can also fluctuate over time.
Using the current legal processes, all Child Trust Funds, where the account holder lacks mental capacity, can be accessed by a parent or carer who obtains legal authority to manage those funds. This can be done by making an application to the Court of Protection. Authority can be obtained in advance of the account holder reaching age 18, and in many cases no court fee will be payable.
A toolkit for parents and carers Making Financial decisions for young people who lack capacity Making financial decisions for young people who lack capacity: A toolkit for parents and carers - GOV.UK was published in June 2023 and explains the process.
The Ministry of Justice is considering what further steps could be taken to raise awareness of the current law and improving the court process while maintaining necessary safeguards.