Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to improve water quality monitoring in designated bathing areas.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) monitors designated bathing waters above the minimum frequency required in the Bathing Water Regulations during the bathing water season. Most sites are sampled weekly, following World Health Organisation recommendations and to reduce misclassification risk.
On 28 October 2025, the Department laid before Parliament a Statutory Instrument introducing reforms and technical amendments to the Bathing Water Regulations, which predominantly came into force 21 November 2025. The reforms include the discretion to determine a different bathing season for a site, enabling tailored seasons and monitoring periods that reflect when people use the bathing waters, strengthening public health messaging. The technical amendments align legislation with modern sampling practices, allowing the EA to improve efficiency and delivery for the public.
The EA also has an active Research and Development programme exploring innovative contamination detection at bathing waters and participate with other UK and international agencies on the development of analytical techniques.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the number of Armed Forces families affected by delays in allocating service accommodation.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In November 2025, the Ministry of Defence’s Industry Partner, Pinnacle, allocated 98.52% (532) of applications made by Service personnel entitled to Service Family Accommodation within 15 working days. 1.48% (8) applications fell outside of this target.
Pinnacle’s performance far exceeds their Key Performance Indicator which requires them to process and allocate 90% of housing applications for entitled Service personnel within 15 working days.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve energy efficiency across the defence estate.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Improving energy efficiency means more money to spend on warfighting readiness. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is improving energy efficiency across the Defence Estate through targeted energy management initiatives, behavioural campaigns, the Utility Savings Challenge, LED lighting upgrades, and water-saving measures.
New build assets are designed with energy-saving features, while recognising that much of the estate consists of older infrastructure not built to modern standards.
The MOD has secured £9 billion over 10 years, some of which will be for enhancing energy efficiency in Service Family Accommodation. This includes installing solar panels, heat pumps, energy-efficient lighting, and improving thermal insulation
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
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 impact of the cost of living on the adequacy of benefit levels in the most recent review period.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Social Security Administration Act 1992 requires the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to review State Pension and benefit rates each year to see if they have retained their value in relation to the general level of prices or earnings. Where the relevant State Pension or benefit rates have not retained their value, legislation provides that the Secretary of State is required to, or in some instances may, up-rate their value. Following this review, State Pension and benefit rates are increased in line with statutory minimum amounts and others are increased subject to Secretary of State’s discretion.
This statutory annual review has now concluded, and a Written Statement was published on the 26 November setting out the proposed new State Pension and benefit rates for 2026-27. As we have set out, we will be uprating most working age benefits across Great Britain in 2026/27, subject to parliamentary approval, in line with the Consumer Prices Index in the year to September 2025 – an increase of 3.8%.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Department has made of the impact of recent policy changes on the proportion of disability benefit decisions overturned at appeal.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is committed to monitoring the impacts of its policies.
Information about disability benefit appeal overturns can be retrieved from StatXplore, HMCTS’ quarterly statistics, or the Department’s quarterly PIP statistics. The latter includes information about clearances and volumes at all stages of PIP decision making.
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Tribunals statistics quarterly: July to September 2025 - GOV.UK
Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2025 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the British Transport Police works with (a) her Department, (b) Network Rail and (b) train operating companies to reduce pedal-cycle theft at railway stations, including through collaboration on prevention measures such as secure cycle parking, lighting and CCTV coverage.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department is committed to working with the rail industry and the British Transport Police (BTP) to ensure that the railway remains a safe environment for passengers and rail staff.
BTP works in partnership with rail operators to make stations hostile environments for potential bike thieves with measures focused on cycle storage. The force frequently works with rail operators, local partners and Home Office police forces, to run public events that raise awareness of preventative measures passengers can take to deter criminals, and offer services such as offering free bike marking.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment this Department has made of trends in the level of recruitment and retention levels across the armed forces in the latest reporting period.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The figures in the latest reporting period highlight that for the first time since early 2021, Armed Forces intake is now greater than outflow. In the 12 months preceding 1 October 2025 there was an increase of 13% in people joining the Armed Forces compared to the previous 12-month period. At the same time there was a decrease of 8% in people leaving the Armed Forces. In addition to this, the Armed Forces continue to see increased numbers of applications. These trends are very welcome, but we recognise that there is still more to do.
We are committed to improving recruitment and retention through a range of targets, initiatives and measures and we are making a positive impact.