Asked by: Michelle Welsh (Labour - Sherwood Forest)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what provision is being made to ensure that 14 – 16 year olds are being equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to make informed decisions when they vote.
Answered by Samantha Dixon
The Government is delivering its commitment to extend the right to vote to 16-and-17-year-olds through the Representation of the People Bill. The Bill was introduced on 12 February 2026 and is scheduled for Report Stage in the Commons on 14 July 2026. The Government intends for the franchise change to take effect ahead of scheduled polls in May 2028, subject to parliamentary passage.
Alongside legislating for the change, the Government recognises the importance of equipping young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to participate in democratic life. We want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote. By engaging voters early, we will build the foundations for long-lasting participation in our democracy.
To support this, the Government will look for the earliest opportunity to make citizenship compulsory at key stages 1 and 2, with a focus on democracy and government, as well as media literacy.
The secondary curriculum will build on that foundation, ensuring all pupils receive an essential grounding in democracy, government and law.
The Government is also working with the Electoral Commission, the devolved governments and civil society to consider what additional measures can support schools, colleges, and youth groups to deliver practical voter and civic education.
Asked by: Michelle Welsh (Labour - Sherwood Forest)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress is being made on introduction of votes at 16.
Answered by Samantha Dixon
The Government is delivering its commitment to extend the right to vote to 16-and-17-year-olds through the Representation of the People Bill. The Bill was introduced on 12 February 2026 and is scheduled for Report Stage in the Commons on 14 July 2026. The Government intends for the franchise change to take effect ahead of scheduled polls in May 2028, subject to parliamentary passage.
Alongside legislating for the change, the Government recognises the importance of equipping young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to participate in democratic life. We want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote. By engaging voters early, we will build the foundations for long-lasting participation in our democracy.
To support this, the Government will look for the earliest opportunity to make citizenship compulsory at key stages 1 and 2, with a focus on democracy and government, as well as media literacy.
The secondary curriculum will build on that foundation, ensuring all pupils receive an essential grounding in democracy, government and law.
The Government is also working with the Electoral Commission, the devolved governments and civil society to consider what additional measures can support schools, colleges, and youth groups to deliver practical voter and civic education.
Asked by: Michelle Welsh (Labour - Sherwood Forest)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to amend Part 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 to ensure that ecology surveys have to be completed on land prior to any temporary permitted development.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has no such plans.
The government continues to keep permitted development rights under review.
Asked by: Michelle Welsh (Labour - Sherwood Forest)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the time taken for quotes to be issued to people who are members of the Civil Service pension scheme.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing many civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.
Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.
Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,979 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.
To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.
The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates
Asked by: Michelle Welsh (Labour - Sherwood Forest)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help improve processing times for the War Pensions Scheme.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
I refer the hon. member to my previous answer provided to 103061 on 12 January 2026.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently managing a high volume of War Pension Scheme (WPS) claims, which has resulted in longer processing times. We remain fully committed to improving performance and reducing delays in claim processing. To address these challenges, the Department has implemented a range of targeted measures:
The MOD places the highest priority on claims from terminally ill individuals, ensuring they are fast-tracked at every stage. Furthermore, MOD Veterans Services continues to provide dedicated support and assistance to veterans, Service personnel, and their families, ensuring they receive the help they need.
Asked by: Michelle Welsh (Labour - Sherwood Forest)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she had made of the potential merits of using the Consumer Prices Index for the calculation of interest charges on students loans.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Interest rates on student loans have been consistently linked to a widely recognised and adopted measure of inflation. Interest rates are set in legislation in reference to the Retail Price Index (RPI) from the previous March and are applied annually on 1 September until 31 August.
The Office for National Statistics has undertaken a substantial programme of work over the past two years to enhance how inflation is measured and this will be carried over into student loans. The Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed that from 2030 (at the earliest), movements in RPI will be aligned with The Consumer Prices Index, including owner occupiers' housing costs as viewed here: https://obr.uk/box/the-long-run-difference-between-rpi-and-cpi-inflation/.
Asked by: Michelle Welsh (Labour - Sherwood Forest)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer to Question UIN 118386, answered on 11 March 2026, how many incidents of sewage discharges occurred in Sherwood Forest constituency in 2025; and which rivers and bodies of water were most affected.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Data for 2025 is not yet available. We expect this to be published by April 2026.
Asked by: Michelle Welsh (Labour - Sherwood Forest)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to prevent senior Environment Agency staff from moving to roles in the private water industry after leaving their position.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
External Appointment Departure rules are in place to assess and manage this leaver risk. Employees must notify the Environment Agency (EA) of planned moves, enabling actual or perceived conflicts to be assessed and managed. During notice periods, the EA removes decision‑making powers and changes duties if actual or perceived conflicts are identified. Last year the EA strengthened its policy and now includes a provision for disclosure and conflict of interest management in senior contracts of employment.
Asked by: Michelle Welsh (Labour - Sherwood Forest)
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 provide better access to historic data on sewage discharges.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is improving public access to information on sewage discharges.
Since Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) was introduced in 2015, water companies have progressively installed monitors on storm overflows. Coverage increased over time and reached 100% of storm overflows in England by the end of 2023. The Environment Agency has published annual EDM data on storm overflow spills since 2020, providing both national statistics and site level information.
To strengthen transparency further, the Environment Agency publishes water quality and effluent data through its online Water Quality Explorer. As part of the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, EDM data will be incorporated into this platform, enabling sewage discharge information to be accessed in a single place.
The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 also requires water companies to install EDM monitors at 50% of emergency overflows by 2030 and at 100% by 2035. Discharges must be reported within one hour of the initial spill, with data subject to independent scrutiny by the water regulators.
Historic information prior to EDM installation is more limited and was not collected consistently. Available datasets continue to be published where they exist to support transparency and public scrutiny.
Asked by: Michelle Welsh (Labour - Sherwood Forest)
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 stop Severn Trent Water from discharging sewage in Sherwood Forest constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 makes it a statutory requirement for all water companies to produce annual Pollution Incident Reduction Plans showing how they will meet our expectation of reducing pollution incidents by 40%.
Between 2025 and 2030, a historic amount, over £10 billion, is being invested in improving nearly 2,500 storm overflows in England, targeted at those affecting the most sensitive sites for ecological and human health.
To reduce spills from storm overflows in Sherwood Forest, Severn Trent is investing in its Storm Overflow Action Plan, which focuses on reducing rainwater entering sewers, increasing storage capacity and improving wastewater treatment.
All of the approximately 15,000 storm overflows in England are now monitored, with discharge data being published in near real time. The Environment Agency has asked companies to install new flow-to-full monitors at wastewater treatment works. to ensure that permit conditions are met during the sewage treatment process.