Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans to review the application of (a) National Insurance contributions and (b) home responsibilities protection in cases where an individual was contracted out of the Additional State Pension.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Before 6 April 2016, people were able to contract-out of the Additional State Pension. For the years they were contracted-out, they would be entitled to the basic State Pension only. When assessing State Pension eligibility under both the pre-2016 and new State Pension systems, the Department takes into account the impact of past contracting-out.

There are no such plans to review this approach which is in accordance with legislation.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support workers in the North Sea Oil and Gas industry in the transition towards net zero.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The consultation on ‘Building the North Sea’s energy future’ sets out the Government’s plans for accelerating investment in net zero, creating high-quality jobs for oil and gas workers. It seeks views on how to best support workers and communities through the transition and closes 30 April.

The Government has worked with industry and unions to launch the 'Energy Skills Passport’ for oil and gas workers transitioning to offshore wind roles and announced that Great British Energy will be headquartered in Aberdeen, to reflect the commitment that communities which powered our country’s energy past will power its clean energy future.

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 help reduce the health risks for mothers giving birth to (a) twins and (b) multiples.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is determined to ensure that all women receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care and continues to work with the National Health Service as it delivers its three-year maternity and neonatal plan to achieve this.

The latest data shows that 1.4% of maternities result in multiple births, however pregnancies for twins and multiples are associated with significantly higher risks for stillbirth and preterm birth, and many multiples spend time in neonatal care. We are ensuring high quality care is implemented across England to improve these outcomes. The NHS is rolling out version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with detailed guidance to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injuries, neonatal deaths, and preterm births, including specific guidance for multiple pregnancies. This has been fully implemented by over 100 providers.

Additionally, last year, we launched a £50 million National Institute for Health and Care Research challenge fund to task researchers and policymakers with finding new ways to tackle poor pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to support people who have reported (a) long-term health and (b) personal impacts due to being prescribed Diethylstilbestrol (DES) between 1950 and 1980.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regulates medicines supplied in the United Kingdom. Our activity spans the whole of a medicine’s lifecycle. Diethylstilboestrol (DES) is an oestrogenic hormone formerly used in the treatment of threatened miscarriage. The Government took action regarding DES in the early 1970s. In 1971, it was recognised that DES could cause a distinct type of cancer in the daughters of women who took DES in early pregnancy. Shortly afterwards, its use was contraindicated in pregnancy, pre-menopausal women, children and young adults and the Committee on Safety of Medicines wrote to all doctors in May 1973 to advise against the use of DES in pregnancy and pre-menopausal women.

DES may still be prescribed in the UK for certain types of cancer, including cancer of the prostate and metastatic post-menopausal cancer of the breast. The product information for DES clearly describes the risk of harms related to its use in pregnancy and for this reason its use is contra-indicated in pregnant women; it is not suitable for pre-menopausal women, and should not be prescribed to children or young people due to its carcinogenic potential. The use of DES is now only justified in the management of malignant disease.

The MHRA continuously assesses the benefit risk balance of all medicines at the time of initial licensing and throughout their use in clinical practice, carefully evaluating any emerging evidence on their benefits and risks.

A small increased risk of breast cancer in women who received DES whilst pregnant was first identified in the 1980s and confirmed in further studies in the 1990s, when longer follow up of women who had taken DES was available. No increased risk of other cancers has been established, including endometrial cancer or ovarian cancer.

Since 1992 the National Cancer Institute at the US National Institutes of Health has been conducting the DES Follow-up Study of more than 21,000 mothers, daughters, and sons, exposed in the womb during the mother’s pregnancy, to better understand the long-term health effects of exposure to DES. The findings of this follow up have been published in the scientific literature.

Daughters of individuals exposed to DES are at increased risk of clear cell cancer of the cervix and vagina. The current advice from the UK Health Security Agency is that routine cervical screening is appropriate for those who believed they were exposed to DES in utero; the advice is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-programme-and-colposcopy-management/5-screening-and-management-of-immunosuppressed-individuals

Participation in the National Breast Screening Programme is also recommended. Pregnant women who know that they were exposed in utero to DES should inform their obstetrician and be aware of the increased risks of ectopic pregnancy and preterm labour.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department produced an impact assessment prior to the announcement of changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS Ministers received advice on changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme including careful consideration of the impacts of the changes.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to enable the completion of projects (a) partly and (b) fully funded through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme that are (i) soon-to-start and (ii) part of phased work commenced prior to the changes to that scheme.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme gives grants covering VAT costs only on repairs of over £1,000 to listed buildings used as places of worship.

Guidance has now been published on changes to the Scheme from 1 April 2025.

Listed places of worship with ongoing projects should ensure that all claims for work already carried out are submitted before or at 23:59 on 31 March 2025. They can submit invoices after this, but the £25,000 cap applies to all claims submitted from 00:00 on 1 April 2025 regardless of when the work was carried out.

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 support the mental health of parents of (a) twin and (b) multiples.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Support is already available for parents, including those of twins and multiples, who experience mental health difficulties during the perinatal period. Perinatal mental health services are available in all 42 integrated care system areas of England, and offer specialist psychiatric and psychological assessments and care for women with moderate/severe or complex mental health problems during the perinatal period. These services have also expanded to provide care to women up to two years after birth, improve access to evidence-based psychological therapies, and provide a mental health assessment and signposting support for partners as needed.

In January 2025, the Department announced £126 million for the continuation of the Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes in 2025/26 in 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation. This includes £36.5 million for bespoke perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship support.

In addition, NHS Talking Therapies services are also available for parents who need support with any mental health problems during the perinatal period. Anyone can refer themselves online via the National Health Service website or by contacting their general practitioner.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme on levels of economic growth.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS Ministers received advice on changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, including consideration of the potential impacts of various options to scale the scheme.

We believe that the changes announced will continue the widest distribution of the scheme’s benefits within the available means. Based on previous scheme data, we expect 94% of claims to be unaffected by this change.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will increase the number of dementia specialist nurses working in transitions of care roles.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government wants a society where every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs), and may include dementia-specialist nurses. We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. These guidelines recommend providing people living with dementia with a single named health or social care professional who is responsible for coordinating their care.

In addition to dementia-specialist nurses, we want all health and care staff to have received appropriate training to provide high quality care to people with dementia. Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients. The required training needs are set out in the Dementia Training Standards Framework, which is available through Skills For Health.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered alternative models for the (a) oversight and (b) registration of foster carers; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of alternative models on the adequacy of (i) safeguarding and (ii) consistency.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is considering the merits of a national register of foster carers. We will continue to review the costs and benefits of a national register versus our other investments into foster care.

We recognise that some stakeholders are in favour of a register, but we are also mindful of increasing any burden on local authorities and social workers, given our wider drive to reduce workload and unnecessary bureaucracy in the system.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce stricter limits on the number of businesses that an individual can (a) incorporate and (b) manage after multiple company liquidations within a defined period.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Company and insolvency law already provides relevant authorities with the ability to investigate the conduct of directors of liquidated companies and to act upon misconduct. Imposing prescriptive prohibitions risks penalising the innocent and we have no plans to introduce such measures. However, following the passage of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 we are taking additional steps to strengthen investigation and enforcement capabilities in this area and Companies House has been using new powers under the Act to assess company incorporations more stringently. Later this year we will introduce compulsory identity verification for directors, further improving transparency.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to improve regulatory oversight of company directors with a history of multiple liquidations.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Company and insolvency law already provides relevant authorities with the ability to investigate the conduct of directors of liquidated companies and to act upon misconduct. Imposing prescriptive prohibitions risks penalising the innocent and we have no plans to introduce such measures. However, following the passage of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 we are taking additional steps to strengthen investigation and enforcement capabilities in this area and Companies House has been using new powers under the Act to assess company incorporations more stringently. Later this year we will introduce compulsory identity verification for directors, further improving transparency.

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 provide symptom management treatments to support people with multiple sclerosis to (a) manage their condition and (b) remain in employment.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The majority of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of MS care that patients may receive from 27 neurology centres across England. Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure that patients can access a range of health professionals, including specialist nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support according to their needs.

There are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with MS in England, including the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme.

The Government recognises that long-term sickness continues to be the most common reason for economic inactivity among the working age population. As part of the Get Britain Working plan, more disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes made by exam boards on pupils (a) with SEND and (b) with poor working memory.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

It is vital that students with special educational needs and disabilities can access exams and assessments without disadvantage. The Equality Act 2010 requires exam boards to make reasonable adjustments where a student with disabilities would be at a substantial disadvantage in undertaking an exam or an assessment.

Ofqual, who are the independent regulator of qualifications, exams and assessments in England, require exam boards to publish their arrangements for making adjustments, including how a student qualifies for an adjustment, and what adjustments might be made.

The Joint Council for Qualifications sets out the guidance on access arrangements and reasonable adjustments on behalf of the exam boards. This guidance is updated for each academic year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that (a) GCSE and (b) equivalent assessments in (i) Mathematics and (ii) English prioritise the evaluation of students' analytical and problem-solving skills.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. This is reviewing the existing national curriculum and qualification pathways, including GCSEs, to ensure they are fit for purpose and prepare young people for life and work.

The review group has now published a well-evidenced, clear interim report, which sets out its interim findings and confirms the key areas for further work. This highlights the successes of the current system, making clear that the most trusted and valued aspects of our system will remain, whilst setting a positive vision for the future. This report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report.

The Review is committed to ensuring a high quality, knowledge-rich curriculum that drives excellence in education across a broad range of subjects and pathways. The next phase of work will consider whether there is sufficient coverage of knowledge and skills in the current curriculum and associated qualifications that are essential to sufficiently prepare children and young people for future life and to thrive in a fast-changing world.

The government will consider any changes it wishes to make to the curriculum, assessment and qualifications whilst the Review is conducted, and will respond to the final recommendations in autumn.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the requirement for children born in the UK to parents with refugee status making separate asylum claims to obtain refugee status on asylum application backlogs.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Under the Immigration Rules protection status can only be granted when an individual’s protection needs have been considered and they are found to be eligible for refugee status in their own right.

All asylum decisions must demonstrate that the child’s best interests have been a primary (albeit not necessarily the only) consideration. In many cases the basis of a child’s claim for asylum is the same as that of their parent(s), and we can assess a child’s claim for asylum based on the information the parent provides to us, applying the same principles as the Family Asylum Claim process. Further information about the Family Asylum Claim process is available here: Family asylum claims: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

There may be cases where a child has no protection needs and would not be at risk on return to their country of origin. In these cases, parents can apply for leave-in-line on behalf of their child. Further information can be found in the dependants and former dependants guidance here: Dependants and former dependants: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

We keep all of our policies under review and the Home Office continues to invest in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives to focus on speeding up decision making and reduce the time people spend in the asylum system and decrease the number of people who are awaiting an interview or decision.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the requirement for children born in the UK to parents with refugee status to make a separate asylum claim to obtain refugee status on people with that status.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Under the Immigration Rules protection status can only be granted when an individual’s protection needs have been considered and they are found to be eligible for refugee status in their own right.

All asylum decisions must demonstrate that the child’s best interests have been a primary (albeit not necessarily the only) consideration. In many cases the basis of a child’s claim for asylum is the same as that of their parent(s), and we can assess a child’s claim for asylum based on the information the parent provides to us, applying the same principles as the Family Asylum Claim process. Further information about the Family Asylum Claim process is available here: Family asylum claims: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

There may be cases where a child has no protection needs and would not be at risk on return to their country of origin. In these cases, parents can apply for leave-in-line on behalf of their child. Further information can be found in the dependants and former dependants guidance here: Dependants and former dependants: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

We keep all of our policies under review and the Home Office continues to invest in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives to focus on speeding up decision making and reduce the time people spend in the asylum system and decrease the number of people who are awaiting an interview or decision.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to introduce an (a) expedited and (b) automatic process for granting refugee status to children born in the UK to parents with existing refugee status.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Under the Immigration Rules protection status can only be granted when an individual’s protection needs have been considered and they are found to be eligible for refugee status in their own right.

All asylum decisions must demonstrate that the child’s best interests have been a primary (albeit not necessarily the only) consideration. In many cases the basis of a child’s claim for asylum is the same as that of their parent(s), and we can assess a child’s claim for asylum based on the information the parent provides to us, applying the same principles as the Family Asylum Claim process. Further information about the Family Asylum Claim process is available here: Family asylum claims: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

There may be cases where a child has no protection needs and would not be at risk on return to their country of origin. In these cases, parents can apply for leave-in-line on behalf of their child. Further information can be found in the dependants and former dependants guidance here: Dependants and former dependants: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

We keep all of our policies under review and the Home Office continues to invest in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives to focus on speeding up decision making and reduce the time people spend in the asylum system and decrease the number of people who are awaiting an interview or decision.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 20062 on Bank Services: Direct Debits, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that organisations receiving payments via Direct Debit are held accountable when they do not (a) verify that Direct Debit instructions have been properly authorised by the payment account holder and (b) provide advance notice of the (i) amount and (ii) collection date for each Direct Debit payment, except where an alternative arrangement has been explicitly agreed.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Direct Debits are subject to rules made by Pay.UK, a private sector payment system operator that is regulated by the Bank of England and Payment Systems Regulator.

In order to receive Direct Debit payments, businesses and other organisations must be ‘sponsored’ by a Payment Service Provider (usually their bank or building society). Businesses undergo stringent checks to ensure their identity and that they understand their responsibilities and obligations when using the Direct Debit scheme. If a business does not comply with the rules Pay.UK has a range of sanctions available, including removing the business from the service altogether if necessary.

In the case of any incorrect or fraudulent payments, the account holder is entitled to an immediate refund of any unauthorised amounts collected from their account provider under the Direct Debit Guarantee scheme. Further information about Direct Debits is available at: www.directdebit.co.uk.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce safeguards to help tackle (a) errors and (b) delayed updates by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in (i) cases where initial penalty charge notices are issued and (ii) other cases.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

It is a legal requirement for the keeper of a vehicle to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of any changes to details on the vehicle record including a change of address or when someone has bought or sold a vehicle. This can be done by sending a notification by post or the online channel at GOV.UK. The DVLA aims to issue a revised registration certificate within four weeks.

The DVLA is not responsible for the issue of a penalty charge notice. These are generally issued by local authorities or Transport for London in relation to parking offences or congestion charging, for example. The DVLA is responsible for issuing Late Licensing Penalty or Out of Court Settlements to the keeper of untaxed vehicles or Fixed Penalty Notices to the keeper of an uninsured vehicle. Any penalty issued by the DVLA will be sent to the keeper held on record at the time of the offence.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department has had with Ofgem on improving oversight of energy suppliers’ billing practices to help prevent inaccurate estimated billing after actual meter readings have been submitted.

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

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has had recent discussions with the Energy Ombudsman on (a) trends in the number of billing inaccuracies and (b) the impact of billing inaccuracies on customers.

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

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the potential implications of changes to disability benefits on health and social care services.

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

We are investing almost £26 billion of extra funding for the Health and Social Care System so people can get the treatment they need to get back to work instead of being stuck on waiting lists, delivering over 2 million extra appointments 7 months ahead of schedule.

Baroness Louise Casey, a cross-bench peer, has been commissioned to develop options for immediate action to improve adult social care in England before charting a course for longer term reform as announced in January. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will support this review – and work closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) – as we take forward the proposals in this Green Paper.

In the short term, up to £3.7 billion of additional funding will be made available for social care authorities in 2025/2026, including an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant. To support unpaid carers to combine caring responsibilities with some paid work, from April 2025 the Carers’ Allowance earnings limit will be pegged to 16 hours work at National Living Wage (NLW) levels (rounded to the highest pound), and in future it will increase when the NLW increases. This is an increase from £151 to £196 a week. DHSC are also commissioning research on the link between the adult social care system and PIP.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support care leavers after the age of 21 to help ensure that they have stable living arrangements.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Supporting care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independence is a priority for this government.

Housing and concerns about accommodation rank as one of the highest worries for care leavers, and for professionals trying to support them.

The department is introducing, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, a new duty for local authorities to consider whether former relevant children, up to age 25, require support to find and keep suitable accommodation, and support to access services relating to health and wellbeing, relationships, education and training, employment and participating in society. If support is required, the local authority should then provide this in the form of a ‘staying close’ arrangement.

The Bill also introduces an additional requirement on local authorities to publish the arrangements they have in place for the purpose of supporting and assisting care leavers in their transition to adulthood. This information in the local authority’s local offer will aid care leavers to look at all the options open to them and help them make informed decisions when deciding upon accommodation and other support they might wish to access.

The Bill also includes a measure to ensure that where a council is their corporate parent, no care leaver can be found to have become homeless intentionally.

All care leavers are entitled to support from a Personal Adviser (PA) until they are 25. PAs help care leavers to access services like housing, health and benefits, as well as providing practical and emotional support for independent living. PAs also work with care leavers to create a mandatory pathway plan outlining the support provided by the local authority.

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 reducing disability benefit on the health of people with long term and fluctuating conditions.

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

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course. An important consideration in the case for abolishing the Work Capability Assessment is the inappropriateness of its binary distinction between “capable of work” and “not capable of work” for people with fluctuating health conditions.

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 Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of (a) weekly minimum payments and (b) other financial support provided to foster carers.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The ‘Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards’ set out the expectations that are placed on foster carers and their agencies at standard 28. The department is clear that no one should be financially disadvantaged because of their fostering role, and we expect all foster carers to receive at least the national minimum allowance (NMA) plus any agreed expenses to cover the cost of caring for each child placed with them. The standards are available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/192705/NMS_Fostering_Services.pdf.

The NMA was introduced by the Labour government in 2007 and has kept pace with inflation over time. The current levels of the NMA are available at: https://www.gov.uk/support-for-foster-parents/help-with-the-cost-of-fostering. The NMA is being uplifted by 3.55% in the 2025/26 financial year. Combined with increases to qualifying care relief, which provides tax relief and is uplifted with inflation every year, this provides additional support for foster carers and the children in their care. There are currently no plans to review the way the NMA is calculated.

The NMA was developed by calculating the cost of caring for a birth child and accounting for the additional cost of caring for a foster child. The criteria for calculating fees and allowances should be applied equally to all foster carers, whether the foster carer is related or unrelated to the child, or the placement is short or long term.

The department knows that many fostering service providers offer incentive schemes as rewards for their foster carers and we encourage the use of these. Discount schemes, free or discounted leisure centre passes, IT grant schemes and council tax exemptions are common examples.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered broadening the range of foster care representative bodies it engages with on policy development.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education is keen to ensure that the department meets with stakeholders from across the fostering sector, so that a variety of voices are heard. Departmental officials meet with foster carers and young people who have experienced the fostering system, as well as fostering charities, unions and those who represent and oversee fostering services.

The department also runs a fostering advisory board, which brings together strategic leaders and people with lived experience of fostering to advise on government policy. This is just one of the ways that the department interacts with fostering stakeholders when considering policy. Departmental officials also meet bilaterally with several fostering organisations and have recently hosted a roundtable meeting which had representation from a wide range of stakeholders.

Finally, the department also ensures that the voices of children and young people are heard when formalising policy. This includes our Children and Young People Advisory Board, which aims to give children and young people a say in the services that directly affect them. This provides an opportunity for them to feed into policy development and create a feedback loop to show them where their views are being incorporated. The Board is run by the National Children’s Bureau on behalf of the department, with membership for those aged 11 to 25.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of contacts that UK Fire and Rescue Services have had with (a) people experiencing suicidal ideation and (b) where a suicide is in progress; and if she will publish this data by each UK Fire and Rescue Service.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) through the Incident Recording System (IRS), with this including non-fire incidents such as suicide / attempts. This data is published available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-statistics.

The latest available data on the number of suicide / attempts incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services in England is published in FIRE0901: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6787b920868b2b1923b64653/fire-statistics-data-tables-fire0901-230125.xlsx

The table below provides the number of suicide/attempts incidents in England between the years ending March 2011 and March 2024.

The data in this table are consistent with records that reached the IRS by 26 November 2024, and was published on 23 January 2025.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of four-day working weeks.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

While the government continues to monitor the impact of flexible working, it has made no assessment of the four-day week specifically. Additionally, the government has no plans to mandate a four-day week, however, through the Employment Rights Bill we are giving employees better access to flexible working arrangements, where reasonably feasible. Not all businesses will be able to offer all forms of flexible working, and not all arrangements will suit all employees equally. We want to create a framework that encourages employers and employees to explore options for flexible working arrangements that suit both parties.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of companies closing and subsequently setting up a new similar company, with the result of (a) job losses, (b) workplace bullying and (c) changes to working conditions on employees’ rights.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced new measures to help combat ‘phoenixing’ - when a director dissolves a company to avoid debts or other responsibilities, to then set up another similar company. The accompanying impact assessment provides the government’s assessment of the evidence relating to this practice. Alongside this, the Employment Rights Bill is delivering the biggest upgrade to workers rights and protections in a generation, including strengthening collective redundancy rights and ending unscrupulous practices of fire and rehire.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress his Department has made on the upcoming parental leave review; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has committed to review the parental leave system to ensure it best supports working families. Planning work is underway across government. Details of the timeline of the review will be shared in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress has been made on the upcoming parental leave review; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has committed to review the parental leave system to ensure it best supports working families. Planning work is underway across government. Details of the timeline of the review will be shared in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his planned timetable for when the review of the parental leave system will report.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has committed to review the parental leave system to ensure it best supports working families. Planning work is underway across government. Details of the timeline of the review will be shared in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the Child Poverty Taskforce on (a) furnished tenancies and (b) the potential impact of the Decent Homes Standard on trends in the levels of furniture poverty.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.

The Deputy Prime Minister is part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is aiming to publish a Child Poverty Strategy. As part of the development of the strategy, the Taskforce is considering the impacts of living in poor quality housing.

People in need may be able to get help for essential furniture from their local council through the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to update the Decent Homes Standard to provide for at least 10 per cent of homes for social rent to be offered furnished.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.

The Deputy Prime Minister is part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is aiming to publish a Child Poverty Strategy. As part of the development of the strategy, the Taskforce is considering the impacts of living in poor quality housing.

People in need may be able to get help for essential furniture from their local council through the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.

Robert May’s school and STEM racing competition

Government review into Volumetric Concrete Mobile plants

Interstitial Lung Disease

Abduction of Ukrainian children

International Day for Mine Awareness

Protecting children from data exploitation

Israeli Defence Force attacks on humanitarian workers

Disability hate crime

Scams and fraud

Radiotherapy (No. 2)

Hospital maintenance

British companies and the transportation of Russian liquefied natural gas

Found: Members present: Mr Speaker (Chair); Rushanara Ali; Florence Eshalomi; Stephen Gethins; Simon Hoare; Lisa Smart

Found: Members present: Mr Speaker (Chair); Rushanara Ali; Florence Eshalomi; Stephen Gethins; Simon Hoare; Lisa Smart

Found: _4 Lisa Smart Anna Sabine Luke Taylor Ben Maguire .

Found: _NC13 Lisa Smart Anna Sabine Luke Taylor Ben Maguire .

Found: _NC13 Lisa Smart Anna Sabine Luke Taylor Ben Maguire .

Found: _NC13 Lisa Smart Anna Sabine Luke Taylor Ben Maguire .

Found: New Amendment: NC20 _4 Lisa Smart Anna Sabine Luke Taylor .

Found: New Amendment: NC20 _4 Lisa Smart Anna Sabine Luke Taylor .

Found: _NC13 Lisa Smart Anna Sabine Luke Taylor ★.

Found: _NC13 Lisa Smart Anna Sabine Luke Taylor ★.

Found: Dillon Charlotte Nichols Sarah Dyke Steve Darling Anneliese Midgley Liz Jarvis Susan Murray Lisa Smart