Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the financial impact of maternity leave on the (a) amount of additional debt accrued on and (b) length of time to repay the debt for student finance loans.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department and the Student Loan Company do not hold information on the amount of additional money accrued by women while on maternity leave.

Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold. Borrowers earning under the repayment threshold, including while on statutory maternity leave, are not required to make repayments, however, interest will continue to accrue. When borrowers are on maternity leave, and earnings are below the earnings threshold, interest, across both plan 2 and plan 5, is applied at the Retail Price Index only.

Any outstanding loan, including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze announced at the 2025 Budget.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data the Student Loans Company holds on the amount of additional money accrued by women while on maternity leave.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department and the Student Loan Company do not hold information on the amount of additional money accrued by women while on maternity leave.

Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold. Borrowers earning under the repayment threshold, including while on statutory maternity leave, are not required to make repayments, however, interest will continue to accrue. When borrowers are on maternity leave, and earnings are below the earnings threshold, interest, across both plan 2 and plan 5, is applied at the Retail Price Index only.

Any outstanding loan, including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze announced at the 2025 Budget.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to provide financial support to house boat dwellers impacted by the cost of red diesel fuel.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Certain uses, such as non-propulsion use by private pleasure craft, retained the entitlement access to use red diesel after it was withdrawn from most sectors in 2022. In contrast to full duty diesel, taxed at 52.95 pence per litre (ppl), red diesel currently incurs a duty of 10.18 pence per litre.

At Budget 2025, the Government extended the temporary 5p fuel duty cut alongside extending the proportionate percentage cut for rebated fuels, which includes red diesel. This maintains the red diesel rate at the levels set in March 2022 at 10.18 peppl until the end of August 2026, with rates then gradually returning to March 2022 levels by March 2027, an increase of less than 1 ppl. The planned inflation increase for 2026-27 has also been cancelled.

As the Chancellor has set out, the Government will keep fuel duty under review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the report entitled Walking and Cycling Index: UK, published by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust on 17 March 2026, what steps she is taking to support councils to lower speed limits.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Local authorities are responsible for managing the roads under their jurisdiction, drawing on their knowledge of local conditions and the needs of their communities. This includes the power to set local speed limits. Authorities may introduce 20mph limits in areas where people and traffic mix, such as outside schools, and they may also apply enforceable part‑time 20mph limits during specific periods, including school drop‑off and pick‑up times.

Authorities will have our full backing when implementing measures that respond to the concerns of local people.

As set out in the Road Safety Strategy the Government will be reviewing and updating its guidance, including ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’ and the ‘guidance on the use of speed and red‑light cameras’, to further support local authorities in making well‑informed decisions about managing speed on their networks.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the report entitled Walking and Cycling Index: UK, published by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust on 17 March 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential economic benefits of increased investment in walking, wheeling and cycling facilities; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Active Travel England published research on the benefits of active travel investment in February this year. This research can be viewed at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluating-the-impact-of-active-travel-investment.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of reviewing the taxation paid by employers when they hire additional (a) staff under the age of 21 and (b) other staff.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Businesses are able to claim employer National Insurance Contribution reliefs including those for under-21s and under-25 apprentices on earnings up to £50,270. These reliefs are forecast to be worth around £2.5 billion in 2025/26.

The government is committed to providing young people with the support they need to earn or learn. At the last Budget, we committed more than £1.5 billion to back young people through the Youth Guarantee and invest additional funding in the Growth and Skills Levy. We recently went further, announcing around £1 billion more to help unlock up to 200,000 job and apprenticeship opportunities for young people.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the statement issued by CAPITA on 28th January 2026, if will he outline the measures included in the urgent recovery plan that is being conducted by HMRC.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

Angela MacDonald, Deputy Chief Executive at HMRC, is working with the Cabinet Office and Capita to lead and support delivery of a full recovery plan.This includes commitments, with milestones, to immediately deal with priority cases, restore service levels and improve communication with affected members.The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,979 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

West London Orbital

Found: 4DR Tel: 0300 330 3000 E-Mail: heidi.alexander@dft.gov.uk Web site: www.gov.uk/dft Ruth Cadbury

Found: SW1P 4DR Tel: 0300 330 3000 E-Mail: Heidi.Alexander@dft.gov.uk Web site: www.gov.uk/dft Ruth Cadbury

Found: SW1P 4DR Tel: 0300 330 3000 E-Mail: keir.mather@dft.gov.uk Web site: www.gov.uk/dft Ruth Cadbury

Found: 4DR Tel: 0300 330 3000 E-Mail: heidi.alexander@dft.gov.uk Web site: www.gov.uk/dft Ruth Cadbury

Found: Kind regards Ruth Cadbury MP Chair, Transport Committee

Found: SW1P 4DR Tel: 0300 330 3000 E-Mail: Heidi.Alexander@dft.gov.uk Web site: www.gov.uk/dft Ruth Cadbury

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Mrs Elsie

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Mrs Elsie

Found: Thank you Kind regards Ruth Cadbury MP Chair, Transport Committee

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Olly Glover; Alex Mayer; Baggy

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Olly Glover; Alex Mayer; Baggy

Found: Ruth Cadbury MP Chair, Transport Select Committee House of Commons London SW1A

Found: excise duty (eVED) 19 Commons Library Research Briefing, 26 March 2026 Transport Committee, Ruth Cadbury

Found: Letter dated 26/03/2026 from Keir Mather MP to Ruth Cadbury MP regarding the CAA report regarding progress

Found: Letter dated 26/03/2026 from Keir Mather MP to Ruth Cadbury MP regarding the CAA report regarding progress

Found: Letter dated 09/03/2026 from Simon Lightwood MP to Ruth Cadbury MP regarding 3 documents for deposit

Found: Letter dated 09/03/2026 from Simon Lightwood MP to Ruth Cadbury MP regarding 3 documents for deposit

Found: Letter dated 09/03/2026 from Simon Lightwood MP to Ruth Cadbury MP regarding 3 documents for deposit

Found: Letter dated 09/03/2026 from Simon Lightwood MP to Ruth Cadbury MP regarding 3 documents for deposit