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, if he will provide a breakdown of the number of claimants claiming the 'Additional amount for additional spouse' of Pension Credit for the years i.2024/25, ii.2025/26, iii.26-date.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The information requested is not held by the department.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 June 2026 to Question UIN 2859:
"Polygamous marriages are illegal in the UK. Immigration rules have generally prevented the formation of polygamous households in this country since 1988. Benefit support is only available where the marriage took place in a country where the practice is legal.
There is no financial benefit in these cases as more would be paid in benefits if the additional spouse claimed as a single person."
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 assessment she has made of the potential merits of including musculoskeletal conditions in national health frameworks.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 2024, 17.9% of people aged 16 years old and over in England reported a long-term musculoskeletal (MSK) condition, and improving their health outcomes is one of the objectives of the reforms and shifts set out in the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan.
Alongside this, we are supporting improvements in MSK services through the Getting It Right First Time MSK Community Delivery Programme, which works with system leaders to improve access to high-quality community MSK services and reduce unwarranted variation.
On Neighbourhood Health Frameworks, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 25 March in response to Question 122457.
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 steps are being taken to improve communication between acute hospital trusts, oncology departments, primary care providers and patients following a cancer diagnosis.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is unacceptable for cancer patients to be discharged without a clear plan for treatment, pain management plan, or identified care coordinator, especially when they are told their cancer is incurable.
This year, the National Health Service in England will ensure that every patient will receive a personalised assessment of their needs, personal cancer plan, and end of treatment summary. The Government and the NHS will also work with the royal colleges to deliver a clear and consistent basis for services that support people to live well with cancer during or after treatment, including acute oncology and supportive oncology. I refer the Hon. Member to chapter 4 of the Department’s National Cancer Plan available at the link below, which examines these and other issues in detail:
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, whether she plans to introduce a requirement for patients diagnosed with incurable cancer to receive a written care and treatment plan prior to discharge from hospital.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is unacceptable for cancer patients to be discharged without a clear plan for treatment, pain management plan, or identified care coordinator, especially when they are told their cancer is incurable.
This year, the National Health Service in England will ensure that every patient will receive a personalised assessment of their needs, personal cancer plan, and end of treatment summary. The Government and the NHS will also work with the royal colleges to deliver a clear and consistent basis for services that support people to live well with cancer during or after treatment, including acute oncology and supportive oncology. I refer the Hon. Member to chapter 4 of the Department’s National Cancer Plan available at the link below, which examines these and other issues in detail:
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 guidance is issued to NHS trusts on discharging cancer patients without an agreed treatment plan, pain management plan, or identified care coordinator.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is unacceptable for cancer patients to be discharged without a clear plan for treatment, pain management plan, or identified care coordinator, especially when they are told their cancer is incurable.
This year, the National Health Service in England will ensure that every patient will receive a personalised assessment of their needs, personal cancer plan, and end of treatment summary. The Government and the NHS will also work with the royal colleges to deliver a clear and consistent basis for services that support people to live well with cancer during or after treatment, including acute oncology and supportive oncology. I refer the Hon. Member to chapter 4 of the Department’s National Cancer Plan available at the link below, which examines these and other issues in detail:
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, if he will publish the assumptions used for each year between 2030 and 2040 inclusive in respect of (a) average earnings growth, (b) Consumer Prices Index inflation, (c) the number of pensioners in receipt of the basic State Pension and (d) the number of pensioners in receipt of the new State Pension.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department does not intend to publish the detailed figures or assumptions for each year from 2030 to 2040.
The methodology for the costings are set out in the document we published on the 29 September. The publication does not operate on the basis of single year assumptions.
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 assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the volume price promotion restrictions in the Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations 2021 on food price inflation for households.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
A final impact assessment was published on 1 October 2025 in relation to these restrictions and is available online at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/restricting-volume-price-promotions-of-hfss-products
The published equality impact assessment is also available at the following link:
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of administrative errors on litigants in person seeking to access justice.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) recognises that administrative errors have the potential to affect access to justice by causing delays, confusion or inconvenience to court and tribunal users, including litigants in person. HMCTS has procedures and safeguards in place to minimise errors, identify and rectify issues when they occur, and support users throughout their case.
Where court and tribunal users, including litigants in person, are unhappy with the service they have received from us, they can make a complaint, as detailed in our complaints procedure online: Complaints procedure - HM Courts & Tribunals Service - GOV.UK
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.