Asked by: Mel Stride (Conservative - Central Devon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what number and proportion of pregnant Universal Credit claimants were deemed to have Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity due to pregnancy risk in the most recent year for which data is available.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Between January 2024 and December 2024 there were 1,150 UC claimants who were deemed to have Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) due to pregnancy risk following a health assessment. Information on all UC claimants who are pregnant is not readily available, so the proportion this represents of all pregnant UC claimants cannot be provided.
Notes:
Asked by: Mel Stride (Conservative - Central Devon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether 2026-27 business rate transitional reliefs should be calculated using base liabilities which include the application of Retail, Hospitality and Leisure rate relief in 2025-26.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government has announced support for those losing RHL relief through an expanded Support Small Business scheme which caps bill increases at the higher of £800 or the relevant TR cap. The SSB cap applies to the ratepayers’ current bill, including the 40% RHL relief they are currently receiving, before changes in other reliefs and local supplements.
This is part of a generous support package worth £4.3 billion over the next 3 years, including support to help ratepayers to transition to their new bill.
Asked by: Mel Stride (Conservative - Central Devon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been migrated from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit since July 2024.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This information will be published as part of a routinely released statistical series in February 2026.
Asked by: Mel Stride (Conservative - Central Devon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether there will be a Spring Statement in 2026 to accompany the OBR's Spring Forecast 2026; and whether the OBR's Spring Forecast 2026 will include the scoring of new measures announced since Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Chancellor will set out her plans for the Spring forecast in due course.
Asked by: Mel Stride (Conservative - Central Devon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of businesses currently eligible for retail, hospitality and leisure relief have a normal business rates liability of £110,000 or less.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties benefit from 40 per cent business rates relief up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business in 2025/26.
MHCLG publish data on the number of properties benefitting from RHL relief.
As business rates are administered by individual Local Authorities on a per-property basis, the Government does not hold data on how many and what proportion of businesses currently eligible for RHL relief have a total business rates liability of £110,000 or less.
In April 2026, the Government is introducing permanently lower business rates multipliers for RHL properties with rateable values below £500,000.
Unlike the current RHL business rates relief, there will be no cash cap, meaning that all eligible RHL properties in a chain will qualify for the lower multipliers.
Asked by: Mel Stride (Conservative - Central Devon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) proportion and (b) amount of Universal Credit expenditure was for adults with non-Common Travel Area immigration status in the latest period for which information is available.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Universal Credit awards are paid to households, which may include both British and foreign nationals who are eligible. Therefore, the information requested is not readily available at the required quality and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Mel Stride (Conservative - Central Devon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how his Department's capital budgets (a) were allocated in each financial year since 2023-24 and (b) have been allocated for each of the next five financial years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Capital budget for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) for FY2023-24 and 2024-25 are available via the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee - Estimate memoranda - Committees - UK Parliament, published on the UK Parliament website.
Additionally, the Capital budget allocated for DESNZ for the next five financial years is available in the Spending Review 2025 document. Detailed information on the Capital budget commitments across DESNZ programmes is included within these documents.
Asked by: Mel Stride (Conservative - Central Devon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households were exempted from the benefit cap for the latest period for which data is available, by (a) reason for exemption and (b) amount they would otherwise have had capped.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The requested statistics are not readily held by the Department and to produce them would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Mel Stride (Conservative - Central Devon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average award is for pension credit claimants with a non-CTA immigration status.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The requested statistics are not held by the Department.
Asked by: Mel Stride (Conservative - Central Devon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were in receipt of Pension Credit for each of the last five financial years, by immigration status.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The requested statistics are not held by the Department.