Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending statutory guidance on home to school transport so that local authorities are required to consider providing free or subsidised transport from more than one parental address in cases of formally agreed 50/50 shared custody.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Education Act 1996 requires local authorities to arrange free home-to-school travel for eligible children of compulsory school age, 5 to 16. The department publishes statutory guidance to help them fulfil this duty. Neither the guidance, nor the law, expects local authorities to provide an eligible child with free travel to and from more than one address. It would not be reasonable for them to do this in every case.
The guidance does however stipulate that local authorities should make clear in their school travel policies how they will determine a child’s home address for the purposes of assessing their eligibility for travel, including in circumstances where their parents do not live together and the child spends part of the week with each parent.
There are no plans to change this, but local authorities do have a discretionary power to arrange travel for other children and may use this to arrange travel to and from more than one address if they choose to do so.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that older people entitled to Home Responsibilities Protection compensation are not excluded from claiming due to identity verification requirements.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Customers who are unable to access their Personal Tax Account can apply for Home Responsibilities Protection by completing a print and post form (CF411) which is available on GOV.UK. Alternatively, they can contact the National Insurance helpline to request a paper form.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support local authorities with the availability of larger family homes and (b) ensure that future developments reflect local demand for such housing through neighbourhood planning.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that it is for local planning authorities to assess the size, types and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including (but not limited to) families with children, and to reflect this in their planning policies.
We have already strengthened national policy to encourage the delivery of mixed tenure development and will consider what further steps we can take as part of our intent to produce a set of national policies for decision making later this year.
The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests. Neighbourhood planning works best where it builds upon the foundation of the local plan to meet the priorities, preferences, and housing needs of the community.
Government planning policy for traveller sites should be read in conjunction with the National Planning Policy Framework.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the eligibility for free prescriptions to people with Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to review the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate.
There are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with Schwachmann Diamond Syndrome may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.
People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme, which provides help based on a comparison between a person’s income and requirements.
People who need to pay and need many prescription items could save money with a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC). PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as needed for a set cost. An annual PPC costs £114.50 and will save money if they need 12 or more items in 12 months. To help spread the cost, people can pay for an annual PPC by ten monthly direct debits, which works out as just over £2 per week. A three-month PPC for £32.05 is also available.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department provides to ensure that people impacted by the Post Office Horizon scandal are aware that compensation payments are exempt from Universal Credit means testing; and whether a review is underway to help support people who have not received their benefit entitlement due to a lack of awareness.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Payments of compensation from the Post Office compensation scheme have been indefinitely disregarded as capital and income from the calculation of Universal Credit. Please see guidance below for customers relating to special compensation payments.
Universal Credit: money, savings and investments - GOV.UK
The Department has added this scheme to internal guidance for staff and decisionmakers to make them aware that payments should be disregarded.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) on its compliance with Section 9.4 of the IOPC Statutory Guidance, published on 1 February 2020; and what guidance her Department has issued on whether the IOPC has discretion to decline to investigate matters that fall within the mandatory referral criteria.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The IOPC has powers to issue statutory guidance under section 22 of the Police Reform Act 2002 to local policing bodies, the 43 Home Office territorial police forces in England and Wales and other law enforcement bodies, such as the National Crime Agency. Paragraph 9.4 of this guidance is directed not at the IOPC but at such police forces and bodies (known as “appropriate authorities”). Paragraph 9.4 places a requirement on them to “notify the IOPC where concerns or issues arise after the initial referral that indicate the matter should be referred [to the IOPC] again” in line with mandatory referral criteria.
The 2002 Act itself sets out the requirements on the IOPC as to how should carry out its functions. It gives the IOPC discretion to decide whether it is necessary that cases that have been referred to it under the mandatory referral criteria should be investigated and, if so, how they should be investigated. For example, the IOPC can decide it is necessary for it to investigate a case independently itself or it can decide that the appropriate authority should do so on its own behalf or that the appropriate authority or another force should investigate as directed by the IOPC. Paragraph 15 of Schedule 3 of the 2002 Act specifically sets this out. Other requirements on the IOPC are set out elsewhere in the 2002 Act and in the Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2020.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason outstanding pension payments to veterans under the McCloud Pension Remedy are being delayed.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The implementation of the McCloud Pension Remedy represents one of the most complex undertakings ever associated with Public Sector Pension Schemes, affecting over three million individuals
Within the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, the scale of delivery and the technical challenges involved have unfortunately resulted in delays for some members in receiving their Remedial Service Statements. However, the Ministry of Defence is making significant efforts to address these challenges and remains fully committed to ensuring that all members receive their Remedial Service Statements as promptly as possible, with a firm deadline of 31 March 2026.
Regular updates on the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 Remedy are available on GOV.UK via the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans#pension-remedy
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking into account both parents’ income in Child Maintenance Service calculations.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates through broad rules set out in child support legislation which aim to provide the best overall outcome for all parents who use the CMS. However, we have to allow for sensible decision-making across a large range of cases and, therefore, the CMS cannot provide a bespoke service that is unique to a parent’s individual circumstances.
The calculation represents an amount of money that is broadly commensurate with the amount that a paying parent would spend on the child if they were still living with them, irrespective of the income or assets of the receiving parent.
The income of the receiving parent is not included as they are already discharging their parental responsibility through being the child’s primary care giver.
The Government is conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose. This includes updating the underlying research and considering how to ensure the calculation reflects current and future societal trends.
Options for proposed reforms are currently being considered. Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation will be subject to extensive public consultation, which we plan to publish late this year, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in the context of Natural England no longer accepting complaints about the spread of injurious weeds, by what means the Weeds Act 1959 is now being enforced.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Natural England (NE) is dealing with historic weeds complaints but is not currently taking new complaints. This is a temporary measure whilst NE reviews with Defra the approach to addressing injurious weeds, to improve access to appropriate advice and guidance and ensure enforcement resources are targeted most effectively.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason Natural England is no longer accepting complaints about the spread of injurious weeds.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Natural England (NE) is dealing with historic weeds complaints but is not currently taking new complaints. This is a temporary measure whilst NE reviews with Defra the approach to addressing injurious weeds, to improve access to appropriate advice and guidance and ensure enforcement resources are targeted most effectively.