Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to include decapod crustaceans.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government is committed to an evidence-based and proportionate approach to setting welfare standards for decapod. This applies both to those caught for human consumption and to those used in scientific research. The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 recognises decapod crustaceans as sentient beings.

The Home Office is carefully considering the next steps in collaboration with other relevant departments.

The Government is committed to non-animal alternatives in science and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption later this year.

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 implications for her policies of recent reports of a communications blackout being imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 October to Question 78430.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase take up of Pension Credit in Edmonton and Winchmore Hill constituency.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to ensuring that all pensioners receive the support to which they are entitled. 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 through adverts on television and radio; on social media and on digital screens in GP surgeries and Post Offices, as well as in the press. The latest burst of the campaign began in September, and further promotional activity is planned until the end of the financial year.

We have also engaged with all councils in Great Britain, including Enfield Council, through regular Local Authority Welfare Direct bulletins on GOV.UK and targeted email communications. Councils have actively supported the campaign by promoting it on social media and distributing promotional materials, including posters and leaflets.

We are making better use of data to directly target potentially eligible households. Since February, all new Housing Benefit claimants who may be eligible have been invited to apply for Pension Credit. In September, the Department conducted a trial in partnership with Age UK and Independent Age targeting 2,000 households in England identified using HMRC and DWP data.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report by Independent Age entitled Too Little Too Late, published on 15 May 2025.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. From the end of this Parliament, as a result of our commitment to protect the Triple Lock, spending on State Pensions is forecast to be around £34 billion more a year, compared with 2024/25. This will see pensioners’ yearly incomes rising by up to £2,100.

We have revived the Pensions Commission which will consider the broader questions of adequacy, fairness, and sustainability to guide the long-term future of our pensions system. Amongst other things, the Commission will look at how to improve retirement outcomes, especially for those on the lowest incomes and at the greatest risk of poverty or under-saving.

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. And we are making better use of data to directly target potentially eligible households. Since February, all new Housing Benefit claimants who may be eligible have been invited to apply for Pension Credit. Looking ahead, aligning the administration of Pension Credit with pensioner Housing Benefit will help ensure that more pensioners receive the financial support they are entitled to.

The Department keeps policies and processes under regular review, including monitoring poverty through annual statistics and research into retirement planning, as well as considering the contributions of stakeholders such as the reports by Independent Age and others.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report by Independent Age entitled Jumping Through Hoops, published on 4 March 2025.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. From the end of this Parliament, as a result of our commitment to protect the Triple Lock, spending on State Pensions is forecast to be around £34 billion more a year, compared with 2024/25. This will see pensioners’ yearly incomes rising by up to £2,100.

We have revived the Pensions Commission which will consider the broader questions of adequacy, fairness, and sustainability to guide the long-term future of our pensions system. Amongst other things, the Commission will look at how to improve retirement outcomes, especially for those on the lowest incomes and at the greatest risk of poverty or under-saving.

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. And we are making better use of data to directly target potentially eligible households. Since February, all new Housing Benefit claimants who may be eligible have been invited to apply for Pension Credit. Looking ahead, aligning the administration of Pension Credit with pensioner Housing Benefit will help ensure that more pensioners receive the financial support they are entitled to.

The Department keeps policies and processes under regular review, including monitoring poverty through annual statistics and research into retirement planning, as well as considering the contributions of stakeholders such as the reports by Independent Age and others.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to continue financial support for the Tropical Forests Forever Facility.

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

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer given on 11 November to my hon Friend the Member for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill (Kate Osamor) to Question UIN 87351.