Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make it his policy to make £20 million available each year to fund research into alternatives for animal testing.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are considering funding into alternatives for animal testing as part of the Spending Review, and cannot commit funding amounts in advance of this process.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the eligibility criteria for carers allowance on local authority care services.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

From 7 April 2025 the weekly earnings limit in Carer's Allowance increased to £196 net earnings, the largest cash increase ever. All things being equal, the earnings rule change will result in more people being entitled to Carer’s Allowance. There are no other planned changes to the entitlement conditions. Local authorities are responsible for their own "care service" arrangements and these may differ between authorities.

In our recent Pathways to Work Green Paper we announced a broad package of reforms to the health and disability benefit and support system, including changes to Personal Independence Payment. For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including for linked entitlements such as Carer’s Allowance, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if the Minister of State for Courts and Justice will meet with the hon. Member for Horsham to discuss the Child Trust Fund campaign.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

As he acknowledged in his letter to me dated 02 March 2025, the Hon. Member for Horsham is aware that I am happy to meet with him regarding locked Child Trust Funds.

My office will be in touch to agree a mutually convenient date.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which organisations within the financial industry her Department has consulted with on locked Child Trust Funds since January 2025.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Department continues to engage with financial organisations on the issue of Child Trust Funds where the account holder lacks mental capacity to access their account and legal authority is required to enable a parent or carer to access the funds on their behalf.

Since January 2025, the Department has engaged with The Investment and Savings Alliance (TISA) and UK Finance. The Department has also engaged with a range of stakeholders with interest including One Family and others.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of under 22 year olds who will no longer receive limited capability to work payments.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Information on the impacts of the “Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper” will be published in due course, with some information already published alongside the Spring Statement.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of planned reforms to Personal Independence Payment on people that receive (a) housing allowances and (b) higher rate housing allowances.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

No such assessment has yet been made.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of making access to work schemes the responsibility of employers on small and medium-sized businesses.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published on 18 March, we need to get the balance right between supporting employers to understand and provide reasonable adjustments as part of their legal duties, and interventions that go beyond this this to enable employment. There are no plans to require employers to provide measures beyond a reasonable adjustment.

We will assess any new intervention through evaluation, ensuring its impact and value for money.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to introduce a substantial risk element into the PIP assessment process.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

In our Green Paper, Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, we announced our plans to scrap the Work Capability Assessment and use the single Personal Independence Payment assessment to assess entitlement for the Universal Credit health element. We are considering how change of this kind could affect individuals who currently meet limited capability for work and work-related activity criteria due to non-functional special circumstances; including those currently classed as having substantial risk.

We also announced plans to launch a process to review the PIP assessment. We will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. Any changes to the PIP assessment will need to work alongside the reforms set out in the Green Paper.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of making access to work schemes the responsibility of employers on the employability of people with disabilities.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published on 18 March, we need to get the balance right between supporting employers to understand and provide reasonable adjustments as part of their legal duties, and interventions that go beyond this this to enable employment. There are no plans to require employers to provide measures beyond a reasonable adjustment.

We will assess any new intervention through evaluation, ensuring its impact and value for money.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether communities affected by (a) community-run and (b) centrally-led energy infrastructure development will receive (i) energy bill discounts and (ii) other compensation.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In the Clean Power Action Plan, we made clear that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should feel tangible and enduring benefit of doing so. We are exploring options in this area, including community funds and shared ownership.

The Government has already announced bill discounts for communities living nearest to new electricity transmission infrastructure, and published guidance on community funds for electricity transmission infrastructure.

The Government intends to publish community benefit guidance for onshore wind in England, and Solar Energy UK has also committed to publishing further guidance.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how spatial planning responsibilities will be split between national and local level; and whether local people will be able to run community energy projects.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) is the national-level plan covering GB, whilst Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs) will work with organisations at a local level to plan how local energy systems need to be developed to reach net zero, considering both the national targets set by government and local needs. Great British Energy will also provide increased funding and support to ensure that local communities continue to directly benefit from clean energy projects.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to direct the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan to be inclusive of community energy projects.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Strategic Spatial Energy Plan is a national, transmission-level plan covering Great Britain, and as such it will not prescribe or authorise individual projects at community level. Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs) will undertake spatial planning at a more local level.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that the land use framework encourages community energy projects.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues.

The Government is currently consulting on the Land Use Framework, which aims to use the most sophisticated land use data ever published, to provide the principles, advanced data, and tools to support decision-making by stakeholders to make the most of our land. Views are currently being sought in the public consultation, which closes on 25 April.

The previous Government consulted on the barriers to community energy through a Call for Evidence and published a response to this Call for Evidence on 21 March. The evidence is being used to inform potential changes that could be put in place to overcome these barriers. The Government is committed to growing community energy and supporting its important role in the energy transition.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who is responsible for the (a) design and (b) delivery of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The UK, Scottish and Welsh governments have commissioned the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to develop the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan. NESO is independently producing the plan, with oversight from the three governments and Ofgem.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to (a) protect and (b) promote community energy projects beyond the Local Power Plan.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Local power generation is an essential part of the UK’s energy generation and increasing support from Great British Energy will ensure that local communities benefit as the UK supercharges its mission to become a clean energy superpower.

We recently announced that Community Energy Groups will be able to access a share of £5 million in grant funding through the Great British Energy Community Fund to help communities develop their own clean energy projects.

Great British Energy will also work closely with Community Energy Groups, providing commercial, technical, and project-planning assistance to increase their capability and capacity to build a pipeline of successful projects in their local areas.

Independent parking regulator

Introduction of the Hillsborough Law and the 36th anniversary

Retirement of GPs and national GP strategy

Rural bus services

Protecting children from data exploitation

Israeli Defence Force attacks on humanitarian workers

Found: Peter Bedford; Steve Darling; Damien Egan; Gill German; Amanda Hack; Danny Kruger; Frank McNally; John Milne

Found: Peter Bedford; Steve Darling; Damien Egan; Gill German; Amanda Hack; Danny Kruger; Frank McNally; John Milne

Found: _NC1 Steve Darling John Milne Daisy Cooper .

Found: _NC2 Steve Darling John Milne Daisy Cooper .

Found: _NC1 Steve Darling John Milne Daisy Cooper .

Found: _NC1 Steve Darling John Milne Daisy Cooper .

The Work and Pensions Committee is undertaking a short inquiry into the impact of the Government’s proposals to reform the disability and health related benefits system, as set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper.