Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the Child Maintenance Service’s (a) call-back performance and (b) adherence to its own service level agreements regarding telephone communication with constituents; and what steps he is taking to help ensure that caseworkers return calls to parents within 48 hours.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) monitors telephony performance daily, including call-back requests and the age of outstanding calls. As of March 2026, over 65% of call backs are completed within the Department’s 48 hour target. Performance is reviewed regularly to maintain service standards and identify where additional support may be required.
CMS is progressing its Service Modernisation Programme, expanding digital, online and telephony channels to improve access and reduce demand on advisers. Increased uptake of online self-service is helping free up resources so caseworkers can focus on customers who need telephone support. CMS are also part of the DWP Digital’s Contact Centre Modernisation Programme which is introducing state of the art contact centre technology. CMS are currently scheduled to onboard to DWPs new telephony platform in Q2 26/27.
The Department continually seeks to review, evaluate, and enhance tools and training material to support staff in delivering a quality customer service and takes timely action to further train and support staff where further improvements can be made. CMS are also addressing some of the known divers of repeat contact. With initiatives taken to enhance information available to caseworkers to enable them answer customer queries more fully during the initial call, thereby reducing the need for follow up contact.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the international student levy on university incomes.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The International Student Levy will require higher education (HE) providers to pay a flat fee of £925 per international student per year. An impact analysis of the levy published in November 2025 estimated the income losses to the HE sector from the levy in isolation to be £270 million in its first year. The full impact analysis is available here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/international-student-levy-unit/international-student-levy/supporting_documents/international-student-levy-impact-analysispdf.
HE providers are independent from government and as such are responsible for managing their own finances. The department has announced increases to tuition fee limits in line with forecast inflation for the 2025/26, 2026/27, and 2027/28 academic years. We will also legislate, when parliamentary time allows, to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years.
Over the next five years, tuition fee limit uplifts could generate an additional £6 billion for HE providers, significantly outweighing the currently projected less than £1 billion cost of the levy. This approach ensures the sector benefits from compounding annual increases, delivering growing resources to support quality education and innovation.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the number of course closures announced in higher education over the past year.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We are aware that some higher education (HE) providers are making difficult decisions about course consolidation and closures. As autonomous institutions, HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances. It is therefore right that they focus on ensuring their courses are financially sustainable.
The Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the HE sector’s financial sustainability. The department works closely with the OfS to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape and level of risk.
The government recognises that the sector's financial environment is challenging. This is why tuition fee caps were uplifted in line with forecast inflation for 2025/26, with further uplifts planned for 2026/27 and 2027/28. We will then legislate to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years. The department has also appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, where he will play a key role in strengthening its commitment to financial sustainability.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the levels of the risk of insolvency among universities in England.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We are aware that some higher education (HE) providers are making difficult decisions about course consolidation and closures. As autonomous institutions, HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances. It is therefore right that they focus on ensuring their courses are financially sustainable.
The Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the HE sector’s financial sustainability. The department works closely with the OfS to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape and level of risk.
The government recognises that the sector's financial environment is challenging. This is why tuition fee caps were uplifted in line with forecast inflation for 2025/26, with further uplifts planned for 2026/27 and 2027/28. We will then legislate to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years. The department has also appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, where he will play a key role in strengthening its commitment to financial sustainability.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance is provided to police forces on the enforcement of the Caravan Sites Act 1968 in relation to the harassment of elderly or vulnerable residents by park home site owners.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The police are the enforcing authorities against harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and the Public Order Act 1986. Enforcement against harassment under the Caravan Sites Act 1968 is the responsibility of local authorities.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Fit and Proper Person test in protecting park home residents from unsuitable landowners.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The fit and proper person test, which applies to a site owner or the person appointed to manage a site, is intended to ensure that those managing park home sites are competent to do so.
Where properly applied by local planning authorities, the legislation has been shown to be effective.
My Department will continue to monitor its operation and consider whether any changes are required.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will review the enforcement powers available to local authorities in cases where a site owner refuses to formally (a) recognise and (b) consult with a Qualifying Residents’ Association.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Site owners’ obligations to park home residents are set out in the implied terms of a resident’s Mobile Homes Act 1983 written agreement.
If a site owner breaches any of their obligations, including recognising or consulting with a Qualifying Residents’ Association, the association can seek a determination at the First Tier Tribunal.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to question 120636 a) what information her Department holds on the investigations and interventions; and b) is this information publicly available.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This information is publicly available and can be viewed using the PR24 WINEP interactive map. The Environment Agency (EA) launched this map last year. It shows for the first time where investment is being made to improve the water environment. The map includes the majority of WINEP data provided by water companies. The EA is working with water companies to add any missing information.