Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the children of Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel are not eligible for Armed Forces family support schemes.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) personnel are civilian seafarers employed by the Ministry of Defence and are not members of the Armed Forces. Consequently, eligibility for some schemes specifically designed for Service personnel and their families does not extend to RFA families.
They do, however, have access to a range of welfare and family support, and the Department continues to review these arrangements to ensure they meet the needs of the RFA workforce.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing an Essential User Rebate for HGV, coach and van operators.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Government recognises the pressures faced by drivers and other fuel users from price increases from the conflict in the Middle East. At Budget the Chancellor announced the Government is extending the 5 pence per litre (ppl) fuel duty cut by a further six months to July 2027 and delaying uprating until the same date, providing breathing space to motorists whilst prices are high. Therefore, fuel duty will remain at 52.95ppl for both petrol and diesel to July 2027.
The government’s decisions on fuel duty across this Parliament will save the average car driver £230, the average van driver saves £472 and the average heavy goods driver nearly £4000 compared to plans under the previous government, and means petrol and diesel will be 15p per litre cheaper from April 2027.
Recognising the importance of the haulage sector, the Government also announced a 12-month vehicle excise duty (VED) holiday for the majority of heavy goods vehicles, with hauliers and operators of fuel based refrigerated road transport also benefiting from the extension of the 5p fuel duty cut.
Rail freight is eligible for red diesel entitlement to avoid perverse environmental outcomes, namely transferring rail freight or passengers to more polluting lorries, coaches and cars if costs rose. Red diesel is taxed at 6.48ppl following the introduction of a 3.7ppl cut, which at Budget the government announced will be extended to 1 July 2027.
As with all taxes, the Government keeps fuel duty under review; and any changes are announced at fiscal events.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory requirement for 20mph speed limits outside schools in England; and whether her Department plans to move from guidance-based arrangements to a mandatory national standard for school zones.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the importance of road safety around schools.
Local highway authorities are responsible for setting local speed limits and are best placed to assess road safety risks in their areas, including around schools, taking account of local circumstances and evidence. The Department provides guidance to support these decisions.
The Department's current approach is to support local authorities in determining the most appropriate measures for their areas, including around schools, rather than prescribing a national requirement for specific speed limits.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with international partners on reports of the mistreatment and torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
The UK condemns Russia's systematic mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war. UN reporting found that more than 96 per cent of released prisoners they interviewed reported torture or ill-treatment. We regularly raise this with international partners, most recently at the Organization for Security and Co‑operation in Europe (OSCE) Warsaw Human Dimension Conference on 5 October. We continue to call on Russia to meet its obligations under international humanitarian law, and we will keep working with partners to hold Russia to account.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will pause the expansion of the GOV.UK One Login pending an independent review of the programme; and if it will introduce a statutory guarantee of free and genuinely equivalent non-digital alternatives.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
GOV.UK One Login’s rollout will continue because it simplifies access to government services for users and delivers significant benefits to the government.
The programme's delivery is tightly governed through departmental controls, HM Treasury oversight and independent assurance by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) as part of the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). GOV.UK One Login is also independently assured and certified under the UK Digital Verification Services Trust Framework.
One Login is not mandatory to use. Users who do not wish to or can’t use One Login also have alternative routes to accessing government services. The alternative route is decided by the relevant government service.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to publish her Department’s acquired brain injury action plan.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers are currently considering next steps and the potential for a national Acquired Brain Injury Action Plan and will set out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will consider introducing a pathway for Postural Tachycardia Syndrome.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 15 June in response to Question 6594.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will review Personal Independence Payment assessment guidance in relation to Functional Neurological Disorder to ensure that claimants are not being refused the daily living component on the basis that they do not have a diagnosed mental health condition.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is based on the impact of a health condition or impairment on a person's ability to carry out the daily living and mobility activities prescribed in legislation, rather than on a particular diagnosis.
All PIP claimants are assessed to determine their entitlement. As part of the assessment process, a health professional (HP) considers a claimant's ability to carry out a range of everyday activities and advises which assessment criteria they believe apply. DWP will then consider all available evidence before making a decision on entitlement.
All assessment suppliers are required to ensure that HPs have appropriate training and knowledge of the clinical aspects and likely functional effects of a wide range of health conditions and impairments, including Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). All HPs undertaking assessments on behalf of the department must be registered practitioners and receive comprehensive training in disability analysis, including how to assess the impact of health conditions on day-to-day activities, alongside awareness training covering a range of conditions, symptoms and disabilities.
From 9 September 2024, the educational material for all Health Assessment Advisory Service HPs has been provided by DWP, ensuring HPs have the skills and knowledge to deliver safe, informed and compassionate assessments. In addition, HPs have access to a wide range of Core Training and Guidance Materials. These resources provide clinical and functional information on a broad range of conditions, including FND.
Following the transfer of responsibilities to DWP, all training and guidance materials are undergoing a comprehensive review and update. A dedicated team is leading this work to ensure materials remain aligned with national best practice standards, supported by independent clinical experts who provide external quality assurance of content.
The department keeps its guidance under review to ensure it remains accurate, reflects current clinical understanding and supports fair and consistent decision making.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether utility companies that excavate private roads in order to carry out works associated with the installation or maintenance of utility services are required to reinstate and repair those roads to an appropriate standard upon completion of the works.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Utility companies are required to reinstate streets following completion of their works. For privately maintained streets, the Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways provides that surfacing should be reinstated to match the existing construction as far as is reasonably practicable and to the reasonable satisfaction of the street manager, while requirements relating to backfill and the area surrounding utility apparatus continue to apply.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on improving the affordability of travel for post-16 students attending schools, colleges and training providers in rural areas.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Both the Department for Transport and the Department for Education recognise that rural communities face transport challenges. The Department for Transport is developing a new transport poverty tool to help national and local bodies in England identify where transport connectivity and affordability may be barriers in accessing employment and essential services. In developing this tool, officials are considering a range of data sources, together with the perspectives of academics, local transport authorities, community organisations and residents through targeted research, to understand better the transport issues people, particularly those in low-income households, experience. The department has piloted the use of this tool in several key policy areas intended to support young people to participate in education, training and work by understanding and removing barriers.