Asked by: Lee Pitcher (Labour - Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Disability Confident Scheme was last evaluated, what metrics were used, and whether the Department plans to review employer compliance with the guaranteed interview commitment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2022, the department ran a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the Disability Confident scheme has had on their organisations. Metrics in the survey included members’ recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people, awareness of the benefits of Disability Confident membership, plans for membership renewal, and perceived impact of Disability Confident on the organisation. The findings of the survey can be accessed from: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK.
DWP is working with stakeholders, including disabled people, the Devolved Governments, local authorities, disability organisations, employers and sector experts to strengthen the scheme. This includes reviewing the current offer of an interview commitment and exploring how we can work with employers to improve transparency and accountability against scheme criteria.
Asked by: Lee Pitcher (Labour - Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there are plans to build new service family accommodation in the constituency of Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Housing Strategy sets out a vision for the future renewal of the Service family estate, backed by a 10-year programme of investment. Until the Strategy implementation plan is finalised, we are unable to confirm any future plans for new Service Family Accommodation in your constituency of Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme.
Asked by: Lee Pitcher (Labour - Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment into the social value of increasing rail connectivity (a) in and (b) between rural and semi-rural areas.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Assessments of the social value of increasing rail connectivity (a) in and (b) between rural and semi-rural areas are calculated on a case-by-case basis to reflect local economic conditions, using Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG). As an aid to understanding the value of such connectivity between origins and destinations, the Department for Transport has developed the connectivity metric, which measures an individual’s ability to reach employment, services and social engagements.
Connectivity evaluates the value of destinations and the opportunity to reach said destinations using various modes of transport, including walking, cycling, driving and public transport. It considers different purposes of travel, like employment, education, shopping, leisure and healthcare. Its value will vary widely across geographies or between locations.
In assessing the full social value of connectivity, the Connectivity tool is one method of gauging such potential value. However, this assessment must then take a holistic view as set out in TAG, including the guidance on assessment of the wider benefits of rail interventions including reduced road congestion, improved air quality and reduced carbon emissions.
Asked by: Lee Pitcher (Labour - Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the Online Safety Act 2023 does not result in unintended consequences for (a) freedom of expression and (b) access to (i) supportive and (ii) archival online content.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Under the Act, both Ofcom and in-scope companies will have duties relating to freedom of expression, for which they can be held to account. Platforms will not be able to arbitrarily remove content and users will have access to effective complaints procedures to appeal instances when content is unduly taken down. This will ensure that UK users can express themselves freely online and participate in pluralistic and robust debate.
Asked by: Lee Pitcher (Labour - Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of restoration of rail service levels to pre COVID-19 levels.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We regularly review and publish passenger demand levels and work closely with operators to ensure they provide sufficient capacity to meet demand wherever possible. We have been clear with operators that they should meet demand in a manner that supports overall performance improvement and minimises the net subsidy taxpayers pay for rail.
Asked by: Lee Pitcher (Labour - Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of bus franchising on community connectivity in rural villages.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to delivering better bus services, including in rural areas. We have set out a plan to achieve this based on giving local leaders the powers they need and empowering them to choose the service model that works best in their area, whether that be franchising, strengthened Enhanced Partnerships, or local authority bus companies.
Under franchised bus services, local authorities can assume responsibility for all elements of the bus network, including routes, timetables and fares. This can lead to improved levels of connectivity. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to franchising, and Government is engaging with Local Transport Authorities to identify potential alternative models of franchising that could be adopted and used by smaller or more rural authorities.
The Government has also allocated funding to five different areas to take forward bus franchising pilots. The pilots will test different franchising models to investigate how they can be implemented and deliver improved bus services for passengers, including in more rural locations. The pilots will provide funding, guidance, and practical resources to local transport authorities to identify the most suitable approach to bus franchising and wider bus reform measures.
Asked by: Lee Pitcher (Labour - Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access England to (a) diagnosis, (b) treatment and (c) specialist rehabilitation services for patients with Functional Neurological Disorder.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The majority of services for people with neurological conditions, including functional neurological disorder (FND), are commissioned locally. Integrated care board (ICB) commissioners are best placed to configure services for their populations and are supported by clinical guidance.
More widely, NHS England’s Neuroscience Transformation Programme is supporting ICBs to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, which includes providing care closer to home.
NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and RightCare Toolkits, including the Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, the Headache and Migraine Toolkit, and the Epilepsy Toolkit, aim to improve care for patients with neurological conditions by reducing variation.
On 15 October 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published new guidance, titled Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury. The guideline covers rehabilitation in all settings for children, young people, and adults with a chronic neurological disorder, neurological impairment, or disabling neurological symptoms resulting from acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury, peripheral nerve disorder, progressive neurological disease, or FND. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181
Asked by: Lee Pitcher (Labour - Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has announced ambitious plans to reform the CMS.
Moving all cases to a single service, where payments are collected and transferred will provide an improved service, quickly identifying and tackling missed payments and lifting more children out of poverty.
The Government has also been undertaking a review of the child maintenance calculation and announced its intention to publish a consultation.
The Department continues to optimise digital channels, delivering services more efficiently and effectively.
Asked by: Lee Pitcher (Labour - Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the rate of office-to-residential asset conversions to accelerate the delivery of social housing.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under nationally set permitted development rights a wide range of commercial buildings such as offices and shops are able to change use to residential without the need for a planning application.
The government continues to keep permitted development rights under review.
Asked by: Lee Pitcher (Labour - Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) remote and (b) other hard-to-reach properties are provided access to reliable fibre broadband.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Project Gigabit is the Government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans. Our goal is for nationwide gigabit coverage by 2032, ensuring at least 99% of UK premises can access a gigabit-capable connection.
More than £2.4 billion of Project Gigabit contracts have already been signed to connect over one million more premises with gigabit-capable broadband. These premises fall predominantly in rural areas.
However, our expectation is that some remote premises will remain too expensive to build a gigabit connection to. We continue to consider what can be done to further enable alternatives to fibre connections.