Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Department provides work capability assessment contractors with additional funding for them to award bonuses or performance related salary uplifts.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Functional Assessment Services contracts (including delivery of Work Capability Assessments) are outsourced to four prime contractors. All reward and remuneration to employees, including any potential incentivisation to meet contractual requirements, is for contractors to determine.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has for improving provision of financial education as part of the adult education curriculum.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The essential skills entitlements, funded through the adult skills fund (ASF), support adults without a GCSE maths grade 4 or higher, or equivalent qualification, or are assessed at working below this level, to undertake a range of free courses including maths GCSEs and functional skills qualifications.
As part of the ASF, Tailored Learning funding can also be used to fund provision supporting learners to address specific needs such as financial education.
Currently, approximately 68% of the ASF is devolved to 12 strategic authorities and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the ASF in their local areas.
The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF to meet the needs of their communities.
Alongside, there is a range of apprenticeships available which provide training in occupationally specific financial knowledge and skills, for example, in payroll, investment or financial services-related roles. We also continue to fund apprentices to secure up to a L2 maths qualification as part of their apprenticeship.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many PIP assessment officers left their role in each month since January 2025.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not held in the format specified.
However, while data on the monthly totals for average health professional (HP) full‑time equivalents (FTEs) working on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) contracts, and overall HP FTE leavers, is not currently published by the department, we will be sharing this information in a future statistical release.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many PIP assessment officers there were in each month since January 2025.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not held in the format specified.
However, while data on the monthly totals for average health professional (HP) full‑time equivalents (FTEs) working on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) contracts, and overall HP FTE leavers, is not currently published by the department, we will be sharing this information in a future statistical release.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what consideration is made when awarding work capability assessment contracts of potential additional costs to the Exchequer involved in contractors awarding bonuses or making performance related salary uplifts.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Functional Assessment Services contracts (including delivery of Work Capability Assessments) are outsourced to four prime contractors. The Department awarded these contracts following fair and open competition to deliver the best value for taxpayers. This included evaluating all of the proposed costs of delivery (including all remuneration to employees).
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Section 4.230 of the Autumn Budget 2025, whether she plans to publish the consultation on the new ISA product before the Easter recess.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Autumn Budget 25 the government announced that it will publish a consultation in early 2026 on the implementation of a new, simpler ISA product to support first time buyers to buy a home. Once available, this new product will be offered in place of the Lifetime ISA.
The new design will include the government bonus being paid at the point the individual makes a withdrawal for a house purchase. This removes the need for a withdrawal charge and means a saver can withdraw funds, should their circumstances change, without penalty.
It will remain possible to open a Lifetime ISA until the new product becomes available and for account holders to continue to save into their Lifetime ISA in line with the existing rules indefinitely.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Section 4.230 of the Autumn Budget 2025, what steps she is taking to maintain the viability of the Lifetime ISA.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Autumn Budget 25 the government announced that it will publish a consultation in early 2026 on the implementation of a new, simpler ISA product to support first time buyers to buy a home. Once available, this new product will be offered in place of the Lifetime ISA.
The new design will include the government bonus being paid at the point the individual makes a withdrawal for a house purchase. This removes the need for a withdrawal charge and means a saver can withdraw funds, should their circumstances change, without penalty.
It will remain possible to open a Lifetime ISA until the new product becomes available and for account holders to continue to save into their Lifetime ISA in line with the existing rules indefinitely.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many meetings of the Retail Investment Campaign steering group have taken place.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government wants to see more people benefit from the higher returns and long-term financial resilience that investing can provide. That is why the Chancellor’s Leeds Reforms included bold actions to boost retail investment.
The Government welcomes the industry-led retail investment campaign which will promote the benefits of investing to the public, and will launch in April 2026. The inaugural meeting of the campaign steering group was held on 22 September 2025, and the steering group has met regularly since then. The Investment Association is the secretariat to the campaign, and HM Treasury supports the campaign in an observer capacity.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress she has made on the Retail Investment Campaign.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government wants to see more people benefit from the higher returns and long-term financial resilience that investing can provide. That is why the Chancellor’s Leeds Reforms included bold actions to boost retail investment.
The Government welcomes the industry-led retail investment campaign which will promote the benefits of investing to the public, and will launch in April 2026. The inaugural meeting of the campaign steering group was held on 22 September 2025, and the steering group has met regularly since then. The Investment Association is the secretariat to the campaign, and HM Treasury supports the campaign in an observer capacity.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on improving the delivery of financial education.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government recognises the importance of financial literacy in helping people to manage their finances and make the most of their money, and is taking steps to improve provision of financial education across all age groups.
In July 2024, the government established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review considered whether there is sufficient coverage of key knowledge and skills to prepare children and young people for future life and to thrive in a fast-changing world. The final report was published in November 2025, alongside the government’s response.
As part of that response, the government committed to making citizenship compulsory at Key Stages 1 and 2 in England, which will include financial education. The government is also legislating through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill so that all state-funded schools in England will be legally required to teach the national curriculum up to the age of sixteen. This will mean that pupils at academies, which do not currently have to follow the national curriculum, will also benefit from the changes to the curriculum.
The Treasury is working closely with the Department for Education on how we can support these changes and how they fit into the wider landscape of measures announced to support financial capability in adults as part of the government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy. My predecessor met the Minister of State (Minister for School Standards) last year ahead of the Strategy being published.