Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of lost applications and documents within HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has and continues to reduce the risk of applications and documents being lost through the continued digitisation of court and tribunal services and the use of secure electronic case management systems. These systems provide auditable records of documents submitted and received, reducing reliance on paper-based processes and improving document tracking.
HMCTS also has proven processes in place to investigate reports of missing documentation and take appropriate remedial action where required. Where a document is reported missing, HMCTS undertakes enquiries to trace the document through relevant case management systems and operational records and, where necessary, works with court and tribunal users to obtain replacement documentation.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to work towards the phasing out of animal testing.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 September 2026 in response to Question 23800.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on complaints concerning GP practices that are not investigated due to resource prioritisation policies.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is an independent body, accountable to Parliament, and ministers cannot comment on or intervene in its decision making. In deciding which complaints to investigate the PHSO takes a range of factors into account including the severity of injustice, wider public benefit, and potential systemic issues to ensure the best use of its resources. Further information on how cases are prioritised is available on the PHSO’s website.
Every patient should receive the highest standard of care from the National Health Service, and where this is not the case there are a number of ways in which patients can raise concerns. This includes the NHS complaints process where complaints can be made to the provider of NHS care or to the commissioning body that funds the service. Patient Advice and Liaison Services can help to resolve concerns informally, while the Friends and Family Test provides patients with the ability to provide feedback and to rate their experience. Where concerns are about the safety or quality of a service, they can be brought to the attention of the Care Quality Commission as the independent regulator of health and social care in England or the relevant professional regulator where concerns are about a medical or healthcare professional.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what alternative routes of redress are available to patients whose complaints about NHS primary care services are not investigated by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is an independent body, accountable to Parliament, and ministers cannot comment on or intervene in its decision making. In deciding which complaints to investigate the PHSO takes a range of factors into account including the severity of injustice, wider public benefit, and potential systemic issues to ensure the best use of its resources. Further information on how cases are prioritised is available on the PHSO’s website.
Every patient should receive the highest standard of care from the National Health Service, and where this is not the case there are a number of ways in which patients can raise concerns. This includes the NHS complaints process where complaints can be made to the provider of NHS care or to the commissioning body that funds the service. Patient Advice and Liaison Services can help to resolve concerns informally, while the Friends and Family Test provides patients with the ability to provide feedback and to rate their experience. Where concerns are about the safety or quality of a service, they can be brought to the attention of the Care Quality Commission as the independent regulator of health and social care in England or the relevant professional regulator where concerns are about a medical or healthcare professional.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has issued to GP practices on the maximum duration for which fit notes may be issued.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has published guidance on GOV.UK for any healthcare professionals eligible to issue fit notes. The guidance states that the length of a fit note depends on the healthcare professional’s clinical judgement. During the first six months of a patient’s health condition, a fit note can be issued for a maximum of three months at a time. Where the condition has lasted for more than six months, a fit note can be issued for any clinically appropriate period, up to an indefinite period. Further information is available in the fit note guidance for healthcare professionals and the detailed guide to completing the fit note.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the total running costs of the office of the Children's Commissioner for England was for the last full year in which data is available.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England is an independent non-departmental public body. The Children’s Commissioner’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2024/25 are available here: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/corporate-governance/annual-report-2024-2025/. The Annual Report and Accounts for 2025/26 will be published in due course.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total running costs of the office of the Judicial Appointments Commission was for the last full year in which data is available.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) publishes a report annually which includes information related to running costs. The latest published report (2024-25) can be found on the JAC website: JAC Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 2025. The data for the current year is due to be published on 9 July.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the total running costs of the office of the Information Commissioner was for the last full year in which data is available.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The total running costs of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) are set out in its Annual Reports, which are available on ICO’s website: https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/our-information/annual-reports/.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the total running costs of the office of the Charity Commission for England & Wales was for the last full year in which data is available.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
In the financial year 2025-2026, the total running costs of the Charity Commission for England & Wales’ offices, including lease costs, was £1,672,633.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total running costs of the office of the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales was for the last full year in which data is available.
Answered by Catherine Atkinson
The running costs for the Office of the Victims’ Commissioner for the last full year 2024/2025 was £859,698 of a total budget of £887,000. A breakdown of this is outlined on page 55 of the recently published annual report: The Office of the Victims Commissioner Annual Report 2024/25