Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of financial support available to individuals in hospital whose personal independence payments are paused.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Where an adult age 18 or over is maintained free of charge while undergoing medical or other treatment as an in-patient in a hospital or similar institution funded by the NHS, payment of (but not entitlement to) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) ceases after 28 days. This is on the basis that the NHS is responsible for not only the person’s medical care but also the entirety of their disability-related extra costs and to pay PIP in addition would be a duplication of public funds intended for the same purpose. Once someone is discharged from hospital, payment of PIP recommences from the date of discharge.

Entitlement and payment of the standard allowance of Universal Credit will not change if a customer goes into hospital for treatment and/ or care, regardless of the duration of the stay. If the customer has been found to have limited capacity for work or work-related activity, this element will continue to be paid alongside the Universal Credit standard allowance.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support is available to carers who incur additional living costs supporting people whose Personal Independence Payments are stopped upon entering hospital as long-term in-patients.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance (CA) is to provide a measure of support and recognition to those whose caring responsibilities mean they are unable to work full time. In order to receive CA, the person being cared for must be in receipt of a disability benefit at the appropriate rate, this is one of the ways we establish that care is required.

Where the adult disability benefit ceases as a result of the cared for person entering a hospital for more than four weeks, CA will also cease. This is to avoid a double provision of public funds to provide care for this individual. A period of 28 days is allowed to determine whether this situation is long term before the relevant benefit payments stop.

However, carers may be entitled to further support. Local Authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers.

Local authorities are also required to undertake Carer’s Assessments to support people caring for their family and friends who appear to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from them.

I would encourage carers who are not receiving a means-tested benefit already to check on Gov.UK to see whether they may be entitled to any other benefits, which may include support with the additional costs of caring. Advice can also be sought from organisations such as Carers UK and Citizens Advice.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2024 to Question 13503 on Personal Independence Payment: Patients, how many individuals have had personal independence payments withdrawn after entering (a) hospital, (b) hospice and (c) residential care for more than 28 days in the last four years.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As explained in the Answer of 15 November 2024 to Question 13503 on Personal Independence Payment: Patients, found here, the information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Suspensions of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) after entering (a) hospital, (b) hospice, (c) residential care, and other accommodation types, are combined in the PIP Computer System under a single category.

To distinguish between the specific types of accommodation as requested would require manual investigation of each individual claimant record. We could provide, within cost, the combined figure for all suspensions due to “hospitalisation and other accommodation types”.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of radiologists in London.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

National Health Service organisations in London will have their own plans in place to manage their recruitment and retention needs, based on local workforce planning.

A clear plan for retention is an essential component of an overall supply plan for the NHS. We need to retain the experienced and skilled staff that we already have, and ensure that the NHS is an attractive place to work so that we can bring in the new trainees and recruits that we need. Nationally, the NHS retention programme is working with NHS organisations to improve culture and leadership across the NHS, addressing issues that matter to staff, such as the need for good occupational health and wellbeing support and the promotion of opportunities to work flexibly.

We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. A central and core part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce, and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients when and where they need it.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Online Safety Act 2023 in tackling instances of (a) online deception and (b) coercive and controlling behaviour by impersonations on (i) social media and (ii) dating apps.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Online Safety Act requires all in-scope services to protect users from online illegal content and criminal behaviour on their services. Coercive and controlling behaviour is a priority offence under the Act. Adult users of services over the designated threshold will also have the ability to verify their own identity, reduce the likelihood of seeing non-verified users’ content, and prevent non-verified users from interacting with their content. The government and Ofcom’s priority is getting these protections implemented effectively.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the existing rights for individuals holding British Overseas Citizen status.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

British overseas citizens (BOCs) are subject to UK immigration control, but are eligible for British passports and other consular services.

Many BOCs will have rights, including of residence and travel, that stem from the other nationalities that they hold. BOCs who do not hold, and have not voluntarily lost, any other nationality are able to apply to register as British citizens under section 4B of the British Nationality Act 1981. BOCs are also able to apply to register as British citizens after 5 years of living in the UK, and meeting certain residence requirements under section 4(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of time spent by police officers completing paperwork as part of the requirements set out in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

It is important for the investigation of offences, as well as for ensuring transparency and accountability in policing, that effective records are kept, and data is recorded. But it is vital that these processes are proportionate and do not get in the way of everyday police work.

This Government is committed to tackling unnecessary bureaucracy and will work with police forces to build on the foundation of the Policing Productivity Review, working with the College of Policing to support forces to ensure officers are able to use their time more productively.

The Home Office’s Annual Data Requirement (ADR) is a list of all requests for data made to chief officers of police forces in England and Wales under the Home Secretary’s statutory powers. There is a robust and stringent process underpinning the ADR to review existing requests and consider new or amended requests.

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

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

Found: Transport Committee member present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair).

Submit Evidence (by 17 Jan 2025)

Buses are England’s most widely used form of public transport. However, in many parts of the country, both service provision and passenger numbers are in decline. The Transport Committee will examine the role of bus services in connecting rural communities with nearby towns and suburban areas.

Submit Evidence (by 21 Jan 2025)

Street works are works carried out by utility companies to install, repair or maintain their services, which involve digging up roads or pavements. (These are distinct from works being done to the road itself). Although necessary to provide utility services, street works can be disruptive to road and pavement users and can affect surface quality in the long term.

Submit Evidence (by 7 Feb 2025)

The Transport Committee is examining investment pipelines for the railway.