Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the derecognition of trade unions in the recent TUPE transfer of workers from Network Rail into Platform 4.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Platform 4 is now the employer following a TUPE process. While trade union recognition agreements were not transferred from Network Rail to Platform 4 under TUPE, Platform 4 has held discussions with the trade unions about recognition, with further discussions intended shortly.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to protect transport workers a) jobs b) pay c) pensions d) conditions and e) travel facilities in the transition to Great British Railways.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In accordance with TUPE regulations, existing train operator staff transferring to the public-sector operator do so with their contractual terms and conditions protected. We are engaging with trade union leaders on all relevant matters in this area through the Rail Engagement Group. The trade unions will be consulted at the earliest opportunity, if any changes to their members’ terms and conditions are being proposed as part of the transition to Great British Railways (GBR). In the meantime, we are keeping trade union leaders informed on matters through the Rail Engagement Group.
Regarding pensions under GBR, I can confirm that we plan for the Railways Pension Scheme to continue to be the primary vehicle through which most rail employees build up their pension provision. The protections within the 1993 Railways Act remain unchanged by the Railways Bill currently going through parliament.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that all future Great British Railways workers are covered by collective bargaining agreements.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State established the Rail Engagement Group as a means of ensuring sustained dialogue with the trade unions about key matters facing the railway, as we work towards establishing Great British Railways (GBR). What collective bargaining arrangements might look like under GBR is one of the important matters that the Rail Engagement Group will be discussing as our plans for GBR develop.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the recently announced 870 job losses at Network Rail.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Network Rail is committed to delivering a safe, reliable railway while reducing costs for taxpayers. Accordingly, it needs to ensure it operates as efficiently as possible. To achieve this, Network Rail is reviewing how it operates across its business. In the review, safety remains the top priority and the efficiency proposals being made focus on management grades and contractors, not frontline operational roles.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of student loan repayments on those with multiple plans and postgraduate loans.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Unlike commercial loans, student loans carry significant protections for borrowers. Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold for undergraduate loans (borrowers with multiple undergraduate loans have their contributions apportioned to the relevant loans), and 6% above the earnings threshold for postgraduate loans.
Postgraduate loans are made concurrently with any outstanding undergraduate loan. If a borrower’s income drops below the repayment threshold, or they are not earning, their repayments will stop.
Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.
The government appreciates that making student loan repayments does have an impact on individuals. This is why there are unique protections for borrowers, and the finance system is heavily subsidised by taxpayers.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that cervical screening appointments can be booked via the NHS app.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England takes a digital first approach to issuing invitations and results in the National Health Service cervical screening programme, using the NHS App and SMS.
NHS England is committed to making it as easy as possible for those wishing to participate in cervical screening to book an appointment.
For many people registered with a general practice (GP), they can already book appointments using the NHS App.
However, as NHS England finalises the first phase of its digital approach to correspondence, it is exploring the feasibility of providing a direct link from the screening invitations on the NHS App to GP booking systems, making it even easier to make appointments.
Cervical screening sample takers, for example GP nurses, are flagging with patients that results may be sent to them via the NHS App and are encouraging them to use and switch on notifications on the App.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to reach an agreement with the European Union on reinstating the pet passport scheme.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 January 2026 to the hon. Member Shaun Davies for Telford, PQ UIN 103925.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what actions is the Fair Work Agency taking to prevent the exploitation of a) migrant workers b) social care workers.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Fair Work Agency will be established on 7 April 2026.
It will enhance the government’s ability to respond to exploitation and deliver a much-needed upgrade to the enforcement of all workers’ rights, including migrant workers and those in the social care sector.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
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 effectiveness of requiring lower earning parents to take the other parent to court for child maintenance payments rated on income worth more than £3000 a week.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) calculates maintenance using the paying parent’s gross weekly income up to £3,000, ensuring contributions are fair and lower earners are protected through flat or nil rates. Where income exceeds £3,000, the receiving parent can apply to the courts for additional “top-up” maintenance beyond the statutory cap.
The CMS formula was introduced in 2012. At that time, Parliament chose to leave securing additional maintenance assessed on income over the level of a cap set at annual earnings limit of around £156,000 to the family courts, via top-up orders, as income of this magnitude tends to be generated and invested via more complex financial mechanisms than the administrative service is designed to handle. The cap therefore ensures that the statutory scheme remains a simple, administratively efficient formula, and the courts handle bespoke, higher value disputes.
All cases can secure substantial maintenance payments via the existing administrative system, and for the vast majority of cases this will be their only source of maintenance. For the small minority where their former partner has exceptionally high income, the system is designed to ensure that court involvement is available, by limiting that involvement to cases where judicial discretion is genuinely required.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the size of the shortfall in NHS Consultant Dermatologists as a proportion of the total number of working Consultant Dermatologists needed by the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold data on the current shortfall, or vacancies in the National Health Service, for consultant dermatologists.
The 10-Year Health Plan for England set out that 1,000 more medical specialty training places will be created over the next three years, with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.