Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason Access to Work advisers no longer accept supporting evidence by email for new and renewal applications, and instead require applicants to submit documents by post; what assessment has been made of the potential impact of this change on processing times; and what steps are being taken to ensure that disabled people are not subject to related increases in the time taken to access or retain employment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As has been the case for many years under successive administrations, DWP does not generally allow evidence for health and disability benefits to be submitted via email. This is because this evidence often contains sensitive personal data, which must be submitted via more secure means. Contact methods, including evidence submission, for Access to Work was brought into alignment with this policy.
We do, however, support alternative methods of communication, including the use of email, for customers who, because of their disability or health condition, are unable to submit evidence by other means.
We do not anticipate any significant impact on processing times for Access to Work customers. We also continue to prioritise employed and self-employed applicants who are due to start work within the next four weeks or renewing existing grants, to minimise disruption to employment.
We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform and ensure Access to Work is tailored to the needs of all customers.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason Access to Work advisers no longer accept supporting evidence by email for new and renewal applications; what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that change on processing times; and what steps he is taking to ensure that disabled people are not subject to delays in accessing and retaining employment as a result.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As has been the case for many years under successive administrations, DWP does not generally allow evidence for health and disability benefits to be submitted via email. This is because this evidence often contains sensitive personal data, which must be submitted via more secure means. Contact methods, including evidence submission, for Access to Work was brought into alignment with this policy.
We do, however, support alternative methods of communication, including the use of email, for customers who, because of their disability or health condition, are unable to submit evidence by other means.
We do not anticipate any significant impact on processing times for Access to Work customers. We also continue to prioritise employed and self-employed applicants who are due to start work within the next four weeks or renewing existing grants, to minimise disruption to employment.
We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform, and ensure Access to Work is tailored to the needs of all customers.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report entitled Evaluation of pupil attainment and progression in Maths Schools, published in October 2025 by The Observatory for Mathematical Education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
When forming maths policy, the department considers a broad range of evidence. The department is aware of this report and will consider it alongside evidence from a range of other stakeholders, as well as internal analysis, when designing future policy.
The government recognises the valuable contribution that maths schools make towards high-quality maths and further maths provision across the country, including in the Torbay constituency which is served by the Exeter Maths School. The department will open new maths schools in Durham and Nottingham, ensuring talented students in every region gain a chance to pursue advanced mathematics.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will respond to the referral from Torbay Council of the likely decision by Torbay Hospital to end the Integrated Care Organisation joint health and social care arrangements.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has received the request from Torbay Council, and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will respond in due course.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2025 to Question 95517, whether the Department has conducted a review or internal audit the consistency of decision-making applied within Access to Work since January 2020.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We hold regular consistency meetings with all Service Assurance Managers, during which cases are reviewed collectively and discuss any instances where inconsistencies may arise. This ensures that all managers apply processes and guidance correctly and uniformly, helping to support a fairer process. We are also reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2025 to Question 95517 on Access to Work Programme, what data his Department has used to determine that there should be a focus on ensuring consistency in decision-making; and if he will publish that data.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department routinely focuses on strengthening case manager learning, ensuring colleagues have the skills and expertise required to apply Access to Work policy and guidance fairly and consistently. This approach has been driven by our commitment to continuous improvement rather than by specific data sources.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) average and (b) longest recorded wait time was on his Department's bereavement line in each year between 2021 and 2026.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The below table shows the Average Time to Answer and Maximum Time to Answer for all calls to Bereavement Services in an hours, minutes and seconds format (hh:mm:ss), itemised by each of the requested Reporting Years.
Please note, that the current *2025 – 2026 reporting year, shows data up to and including 22/02/2026 only.
Reporting Year | Product Line | Average Time to Answer (hh:mm:ss) | Maximum Time to Answer (hh:mm:ss) |
2021-2022 | Bereavement Services | 00:06:36 | 01:26:43 |
2022-2023 | Bereavement Services | 00:07:32 | 01:33:00 |
2023-2024 | Bereavement Services | 00:06:32 | 01:04:58 |
2024-2025 | Bereavement Services | 00:07:53 | 01:55:07 |
2025-2026* | Bereavement Services | 00:06:02 | 00:50:59 |
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with regard to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, how many unannounced audits were there in 2024; and whether she plans to increase the number of unannounced audits by inspectors.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
There were 10 unannounced audits in 2024, as reported in the published Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) 2024 Annual Report.
ASRU will increase the number of unannounced audits as part of its programme of regulatory strengthening. The inspectorate is being expanded from an average of 14.5 inspectors in 2023 to 22 by March 2026, enabling a greater volume of risk‑based audits across the system.
Both announced and unannounced audits play an important role in providing regulatory assurance. The number of audits alone should not be taken as a measure of regulatory impact: audit quality, depth and scope are central to assessing compliance effectively.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, between 1 January 2026 and 28 February 2026, how many licences have been granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 for projects that use a) cats b) dogs c) horses and d) non-human primates.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Between 1 January 2026 and 28 February 2026, one project licence was granted which authorised the use of dogs, and one was granted that authorised the use of non-human primates under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. No project licences were granted within this period that authorised the use of cats or horses.
Official statistics are published on an annual basis and are available here: www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-statistics
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to review how teacher suspensions are used in disciplinary investigations.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
By law, all maintained schools are required to have a capabilities policy, which sets out disciplinary and grievance procedures in the workplace. As employers, all schools and trusts must follow all aspects of employment law and equalities legislation in employment decisions. They should ensure that members of their workforce are fully aware of the process by which they can seek redress as a result of any grievance relating to their work at the school.
Guidance for schools on disciplinary and grievance matters is provided by ACAS in its Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance, which makes clear that an employer has a legal 'duty of care' to support an employee during suspension and to look out for their wellbeing.