Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
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 changes in the real-terms level of Bereavement Support Payment since its introduction in 2017; and what recent assessment he has made of the effect of inflation on the adequacy of that payment.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
While this Department has not undertaken a consultation on bereavement related employment support, the rate of Bereavement Support Payment is reviewed annually on a discretionary basis as part of the annual uprating process.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to publish its response to the consultation on bereavement-related employment support; and whether that consultation will inform future policy on the Bereavement Support Payment.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
While this Department has not undertaken a consultation on bereavement related employment support, the rate of Bereavement Support Payment is reviewed annually on a discretionary basis as part of the annual uprating process.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the current 18-month entitlement period for Bereavement Support Payment.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
While this Department has not undertaken a consultation on bereavement related employment support, the rate of Bereavement Support Payment is reviewed annually on a discretionary basis as part of the annual uprating process.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance is provided to local authorities and affiliated organisations on the issuance of written documents outlining financial responsibilities in care arrangements; and what safeguards are recommended to prevent such documents from being relied upon where they may not be legally enforceable.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why they are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people, including implementing care arrangements that are transparent and put the people drawing on care at the centre of decisions.
Also, under the Care Act, charging is based on a number of principles, including that people should not be charged more than it is reasonably practicable for them to pay and that charging approaches should be clear, transparent, and comprehensive so people know what they will be charged.
Where local authorities decide to charge for the provision of care and support, they must follow the Care Act and the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, and they must act under the Care and Support Statutory (CASS) guidance.
The responsibility for applying the law and the CASS guidance rests with local authorities, and they should ensure that their approaches to charging are clear and transparent, so people know what they will be charged.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is considering the introduction of standardised written agreements or minimum documentation requirements for care arrangements involving local authority oversight, in order to improve clarity on payment responsibilities and reduce the risk of disputes.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why they are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people, including implementing care arrangements that are transparent and put the people drawing on care at the centre of decisions.
Also, under the Care Act, charging is based on a number of principles, including that people should not be charged more than it is reasonably practicable for them to pay and that charging approaches should be clear, transparent, and comprehensive so people know what they will be charged.
Where local authorities decide to charge for the provision of care and support, they must follow the Care Act and the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, and they must act under the Care and Support Statutory (CASS) guidance.
The responsibility for applying the law and the CASS guidance rests with local authorities, and they should ensure that their approaches to charging are clear and transparent, so people know what they will be charged.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of existing legal mechanisms for resolving disputes between carers and estates in cases where care-related costs were incurred based on written but non-contractual agreements.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
In England and Wales, contract law is largely a matter of common law rather than statute. There is no legally specified template for a contract. However, a contract is formed when an agreement contains several key elements such as the making and acceptance of an offer, a consideration (something of value offered by both parties) and the requirement for the parties to have intent to create a legal relationship. If an agreement meets these principles, it could be considered a contract, regardless of form.
Depending on the specifics of the case there are other common law routes to enforcing obligations such as unjust enrichment or an estoppel.
The Government believes the existing law provides sufficient redress to enforce these obligations. These are complex issues and individuals should seek expert legal advice before pursuing these matters.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the eligibility criteria for maintenance loans administered by the Student Loans Company for students studying weekend or non-traditional attendance higher education courses; and what steps she is taking to ensure that students who have already commenced such courses and received funding are not required to repay maintenance support following a change in classification of their study mode.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking, as part of the National Cancer Plan for England, to ensure equitable and timely access to innovative cancer treatments across England, including for patients with advanced bowel cancer; and what assessment he has made of variation in access to targeted therapies between England and other UK nations.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan published in February 2026, sets out how we will ensure equitable and timely access to cancer care and treatment and improve outcomes for thousands of patients across England. It will shift healthcare from hospitals to the community and ensure that all cancer patients, regardless of where they live, have timely access to high-quality, specialist cancer services, including for those with advanced bowel cancer.
National Health Service regions and Cancer Alliances will jointly identify underperforming trusts and provide intensive support including leadership intervention, peer-to-peer mentoring, and seconding senior managers from stronger trusts. Cancer Alliances will have access to £200 million of ringfenced cancer funding in 2026/27 to improve cancer pathway performance, reduce delays, and speed up diagnosis, ensuring that all patients, including those with advanced bowel cancer, receive the care and treatment they need when they need it.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Civil Service Pension scheme claims and member inquiries are outstanding for which the latest data is available; what steps he is taking to ensure that Civil Service Pension scheme payments are paid accurately and on time; and what progress has been made on the review of the award and management of Civil Service Pension scheme contracts.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet 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 a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. 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 is prioritising the most urgent cases and as of 28 February 2026, all death in service cases are now either settled, progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. All ill-health retirement cases were also addressed by 6 March 2026 and service levels in these areas are being maintained.
Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 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.
Interest will be paid on delayed benefits to avoid financial loss by members. In addition, the existing statutory complaints process evaluates claims for financial losses, as well as distress and inconvenience caused, on a case-by-case basis to determine whether compensation is due. This ensures that any retiree who provides evidence of extra costs, such as bank penalties or interest charges caused by the delay, is fairly assessed. This process is run in accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.
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: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the clinical and cost effectiveness of first-line use of encorafenib in combination with cetuximab and chemotherapy for patients with BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer; and whether he has set a timetable for consideration by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence of this treatment approach for routine NHS use.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed
The BREAKWATER study is investigating encorafenib, a BRAF inhibitor, in combination with cetuximab and fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for the potential treatment of colorectal cancer. This regimen does not currently have a United Kingdom marketing authorisation for use in the treatment of previously untreated BRAF V600E mutation positive metastatic colorectal cancer.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has prioritised an appraisal of encorafenib for this indication in anticipation of it being granted a UK marketing authorisation and will schedule the appraisal so that guidance can be published as close as possible to the expected licensing date.