Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of recipients of Disabled Facilities Grants according to the latest figures available waited longer than the statutory deadline of 12 months for the work to be completed after approval of an application.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Disabled Facilities Grant is administered by local authorities who determine their own application processes in line with their statutory duties.
Government collects Disabled Facilities Grant data from local authorities through a voluntary annual data collection. This includes information on average delivery times at key stages of the grant process. Nearly 97% of councils reported that their average time frame for approving valid applications was within the 6-month legal timeframe. Nearly 98% of councils reported that their average time to complete works was within the 12-month deadline.
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the Disabled Facilities Grant application process is accessible and responsive to applicants’ needs. Government guidance encourages local authorities to meet faster best practice timelines and provides information on making the application process accessible and responsive.
The Government continues to work with local authorities and the national body for Disabled Facilities Grants and Home Improvement Agencies, currently Foundations, to support effective delivery of the Disabled Facilities Grant.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of applications for Disabled Facilities Grants according to the latest figures available were approved or rejected within the statutory deadline of 6 months.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Disabled Facilities Grant is administered by local authorities who determine their own application processes in line with their statutory duties.
Government collects Disabled Facilities Grant data from local authorities through a voluntary annual data collection. This includes information on average delivery times at key stages of the grant process. Nearly 97% of councils reported that their average time frame for approving valid applications was within the 6-month legal timeframe. Nearly 98% of councils reported that their average time to complete works was within the 12-month deadline.
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the Disabled Facilities Grant application process is accessible and responsive to applicants’ needs. Government guidance encourages local authorities to meet faster best practice timelines and provides information on making the application process accessible and responsive.
The Government continues to work with local authorities and the national body for Disabled Facilities Grants and Home Improvement Agencies, currently Foundations, to support effective delivery of the Disabled Facilities Grant.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment the government has made of the accessibility of the process of applying for a Disabled Facilities Grant.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Disabled Facilities Grant is administered by local authorities who determine their own application processes in line with their statutory duties.
Government collects Disabled Facilities Grant data from local authorities through a voluntary annual data collection. This includes information on average delivery times at key stages of the grant process. Nearly 97% of councils reported that their average time frame for approving valid applications was within the 6-month legal timeframe. Nearly 98% of councils reported that their average time to complete works was within the 12-month deadline.
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the Disabled Facilities Grant application process is accessible and responsive to applicants’ needs. Government guidance encourages local authorities to meet faster best practice timelines and provides information on making the application process accessible and responsive.
The Government continues to work with local authorities and the national body for Disabled Facilities Grants and Home Improvement Agencies, currently Foundations, to support effective delivery of the Disabled Facilities Grant.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if the government has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of Statutory Maternity Pay to cover essential living costs.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 24 April 2026 to Question UIN 124467.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that women experiencing rough sleeping are identified and supported as part of the Government’s commitment to end rough sleeping.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On his first day in office, the Prime Minister launched an urgent national drive to end rough sleeping. We have announced £442 million new funding to support this ambition, taking total investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services over the next three years to over £4 billion.
The Government recognises that women experiencing rough sleeping are often less visible and may be at greater risk of violence, abuse and exploitation. Local areas are encouraged to work proactively with specialist women’s services, domestic abuse and violence against women and girls services, health partners and community organisations to identify and support women who may be sleeping rough or at risk of doing so. Further guidance on how local authorities are expected to support women through the Rough Sleeping Programme can be found here: Rough Sleeping Programme Guidance - GOV.UK
You can find data about the number of women sleeping rough in England on gov.uk here. Since June 2025 we have included a question on the number of women sleeping rough in our monthly rough sleeping survey. The annual rough sleeping snapshot also includes data on the number of women estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in England. In addition to our official rough sleeping statistics, we continue to gather information from a variety of sources to understand women’s rough sleeping, including the Women’s Census.
Through the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, we are providing £37 million over three years to support specialist organisations that work with women facing some of the greatest barriers to accessing support.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that women sleeping rough are identified and included in the Government’s commitment to get everyone in by Christmas.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On his first day in office, the Prime Minister launched an urgent national drive to end rough sleeping. We have announced £442 million new funding to support this ambition, taking total investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services over the next three years to over £4 billion.
The Government recognises that women experiencing rough sleeping are often less visible and may be at greater risk of violence, abuse and exploitation. Local areas are encouraged to work proactively with specialist women’s services, domestic abuse and violence against women and girls services, health partners and community organisations to identify and support women who may be sleeping rough or at risk of doing so. Further guidance on how local authorities are expected to support women through the Rough Sleeping Programme can be found here: Rough Sleeping Programme Guidance - GOV.UK
You can find data about the number of women sleeping rough in England on gov.uk here. Since June 2025 we have included a question on the number of women sleeping rough in our monthly rough sleeping survey. The annual rough sleeping snapshot also includes data on the number of women estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in England. In addition to our official rough sleeping statistics, we continue to gather information from a variety of sources to understand women’s rough sleeping, including the Women’s Census.
Through the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, we are providing £37 million over three years to support specialist organisations that work with women facing some of the greatest barriers to accessing support.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025, what legislative vehicle she plans to use for any ban on the carbon dioxide gas stunning of pigs; and when she plans to bring that legislation forward.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell, Helen Maguire, on 20 May 2026 to PQ UIN 613.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025, when any ban on the use of carbon dioxide gas stunning of pigs will take effect, including any proposed transition period for the industry.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell, Helen Maguire, on 20 May 2026 to PQ UIN 613.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025, when the consultation on banning the use of carbon dioxide gas stunning of pigs will open; and how long it will be open for.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell, Helen Maguire, on 20 May 2026 to PQ UIN 613.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025, when she plans to publish a response to the consultation on banning the use of carbon dioxide gas stunning of pigs.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell, Helen Maguire, on 20 May 2026 to PQ UIN 613.