Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her predecessor's oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green during the Oral Statement of 12 May 2025 on the Immigration System, Official Report, column 53, whether her Department has consulted civil society organisations that provide services to (a) migrants experiencing (i) poverty and (ii) destitution and (b) all migrants in the development of the proposed consultation on settlement and citizenship changes.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We will be consulting on the new settlement rules later this year. Following that, we will provide details of how this initiative will work, including on any transitional arrangements for people already in the UK.
The citizenship proposals will be developed in line with the settlement ones and further details on the proposed citizenship scheme will be provided at a suitable stage.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many care and support workers in England are paid the national living wage; and whether he plans to increase minimum pay for those workers.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Adult social care is a historically low paid sector. In 2024/25, 22% of care workers in the independent sector were paid the National Living Wage (NLW). The median hourly pay rate for care workers was £12.00 in March 2025, 56p higher than the NLW.
We are committed to transforming adult social care and supporting adult social care workers, turning the page on decades of low pay and insecurity. That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce. Negotiations between employee and employer representatives will shape how this funding will be used to enhance pay, terms, and conditions.
The Spending Review allows for over £4 billion in additional funding for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. This includes other sources of income available to support adult social care, additional grant funding, and an increase in the National Health Service’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund. This £4 billion increase includes £500 million to begin implementing the Fair Pay Agreement in 2028/29.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her predecessor's oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green during the Oral Statement of 12 May 2025 on the Immigration System, Official Report, column 53, whether her Department has consulted people with direct experience of the immigration system in the development of the proposed consultation on settlement and citizenship changes.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper, sets out the government's plans to create an immigration system that promotes growth but is controlled and managed.
We will be consulting on the new settlement rules later this year. Following that, we will provide details of how this initiative will work, including on any transitional arrangements for people already in the UK.
The citizenship proposals will be developed in line with the settlement ones and further details on the proposed citizenship scheme will be provided at a suitable stage.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average income is of care and support workers; and if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of that income.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Adult social care is a historically low paid sector. In 2024/25, 22% of care workers in the independent sector were paid the National Living Wage (NLW). The median hourly pay rate for care workers was £12.00 in March 2025, 56p higher than the NLW. Some studies have found the median household income for residential care workers was lower than the national average.
We aim to transform adult social care and support adult social care workers, turning the page on decades of low pay and insecurity. That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding.
Fair Pay Agreements will empower worker representatives, employers and others to negotiate pay and terms and conditions in a responsible manner. This will help to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector; in turn supporting the delivery of high-quality care. Negotiations between employee and employer representatives will shape how this funding will be used to enhance pay, terms and conditions.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the budget was for the prison education dynamic purchasing system in each of the last five financial years.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Prison Education Budget has not been reduced but increased costs mean that many prisons will experience a reduction in core-contract provision.
The value of the Prisoner Education Framework contracts between 01 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 was £138 million. We are unable to provide a set contract value for the period 01 October 2025 – 30 September 2026 as this period spans two contract years. Comparisons between individual service budgets year on year are not straightforward due to changes in contract structure and delivery arrangements. Additionally, the overall prison education budget includes a range of services beyond core education and the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), such as libraries, higher education and further education and Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG).
The CIAG contract value for financial year 2025-26 is £9.3 million.
We have set out the previous five years’ DPS budgets below:
Financial Year | DPS Budget | Notes |
2021-22 | £22.3m | This is a combined total for DPS and CIAG. |
2022-23 | £14.1m | These figures represent the total spent by Prison Governors on DPS without CIAG. |
2023-24 | £13.9m | |
2024-25 | £12.7m | |
2025-26 | £12.0m | This excludes the budget for the national CIAG service launched 01 April 2025. |
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the value is of the Prison Education Service Core Education contracts between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Prison Education Budget has not been reduced but increased costs mean that many prisons will experience a reduction in core-contract provision.
The value of the Prisoner Education Framework contracts between 01 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 was £138 million. We are unable to provide a set contract value for the period 01 October 2025 – 30 September 2026 as this period spans two contract years. Comparisons between individual service budgets year on year are not straightforward due to changes in contract structure and delivery arrangements. Additionally, the overall prison education budget includes a range of services beyond core education and the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), such as libraries, higher education and further education and Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG).
The CIAG contract value for financial year 2025-26 is £9.3 million.
We have set out the previous five years’ DPS budgets below:
Financial Year | DPS Budget | Notes |
2021-22 | £22.3m | This is a combined total for DPS and CIAG. |
2022-23 | £14.1m | These figures represent the total spent by Prison Governors on DPS without CIAG. |
2023-24 | £13.9m | |
2024-25 | £12.7m | |
2025-26 | £12.0m | This excludes the budget for the national CIAG service launched 01 April 2025. |
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the value was of the Prison Education Service Core Education contracts between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Prison Education Budget has not been reduced but increased costs mean that many prisons will experience a reduction in core-contract provision.
The value of the Prisoner Education Framework contracts between 01 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 was £138 million. We are unable to provide a set contract value for the period 01 October 2025 – 30 September 2026 as this period spans two contract years. Comparisons between individual service budgets year on year are not straightforward due to changes in contract structure and delivery arrangements. Additionally, the overall prison education budget includes a range of services beyond core education and the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), such as libraries, higher education and further education and Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG).
The CIAG contract value for financial year 2025-26 is £9.3 million.
We have set out the previous five years’ DPS budgets below:
Financial Year | DPS Budget | Notes |
2021-22 | £22.3m | This is a combined total for DPS and CIAG. |
2022-23 | £14.1m | These figures represent the total spent by Prison Governors on DPS without CIAG. |
2023-24 | £13.9m | |
2024-25 | £12.7m | |
2025-26 | £12.0m | This excludes the budget for the national CIAG service launched 01 April 2025. |
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the budget is for the prison education dynamic purchasing system in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Prison Education Budget has not been reduced but increased costs mean that many prisons will experience a reduction in core-contract provision.
The value of the Prisoner Education Framework contracts between 01 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 was £138 million. We are unable to provide a set contract value for the period 01 October 2025 – 30 September 2026 as this period spans two contract years. Comparisons between individual service budgets year on year are not straightforward due to changes in contract structure and delivery arrangements. Additionally, the overall prison education budget includes a range of services beyond core education and the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), such as libraries, higher education and further education and Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG).
The CIAG contract value for financial year 2025-26 is £9.3 million.
We have set out the previous five years’ DPS budgets below:
Financial Year | DPS Budget | Notes |
2021-22 | £22.3m | This is a combined total for DPS and CIAG. |
2022-23 | £14.1m | These figures represent the total spent by Prison Governors on DPS without CIAG. |
2023-24 | £13.9m | |
2024-25 | £12.7m | |
2025-26 | £12.0m | This excludes the budget for the national CIAG service launched 01 April 2025. |
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the value is of the Prison Education Service Careers Information, Advice and Guidance contracts in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Prison Education Budget has not been reduced but increased costs mean that many prisons will experience a reduction in core-contract provision.
The value of the Prisoner Education Framework contracts between 01 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 was £138 million. We are unable to provide a set contract value for the period 01 October 2025 – 30 September 2026 as this period spans two contract years. Comparisons between individual service budgets year on year are not straightforward due to changes in contract structure and delivery arrangements. Additionally, the overall prison education budget includes a range of services beyond core education and the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), such as libraries, higher education and further education and Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG).
The CIAG contract value for financial year 2025-26 is £9.3 million.
We have set out the previous five years’ DPS budgets below:
Financial Year | DPS Budget | Notes |
2021-22 | £22.3m | This is a combined total for DPS and CIAG. |
2022-23 | £14.1m | These figures represent the total spent by Prison Governors on DPS without CIAG. |
2023-24 | £13.9m | |
2024-25 | £12.7m | |
2025-26 | £12.0m | This excludes the budget for the national CIAG service launched 01 April 2025. |
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) unallocated cases and queries, (b) cases and queries allocated but not yet in progress and (c) cases and queries in progress but not yet completed being dealt with by the Civil Service Pension Scheme administrator, MyCSP Ltd. were still in progress as of 1October 2025.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
MyCSP; the Civil Service pension scheme administrator, does not record the data in the format requested. It reports to the Cabinet Office on a monthly basis. 85,503 new work items were received for the month of September. A work item reflects an individual piece of work or task. There are 67,540 outstanding items - 13,783 cases awaiting a response and 53,757 items assigned for work to be completed.
The outstanding volumes are in line with what we would expect to see based on the differing clearance targets for certain tasks, such as retirements which can take up to 4 months to process. This is what the Cabinet Office expects to see and monitors on a monthly basis.
The Cabinet Office continues to emphasise to MyCSP the importance of meeting contractual performance levels and improving member experience.