Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the direct ministerial appointments portal will be updated to include (1) all appointments to date, and (2) the full terms of reference of appointments, including any allowances paid.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As set out in the published Guidance on Making Direct Ministerial Appointments, the Cabinet Office has recently made changes to its public appointments digital platform to allow departments to record and track their data on Direct Ministerial Appointments. The Direct Ministerial Appointments announcement portal, which draws data from the digital platform and went live in December 2025, brings together public announcements for these appointments from across government. Departments should also add all existing DMAs to the portal.

Appointing ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the appointments they make and the responsibility for the publication of information about Direct Ministerial Appointments rests with individual departments. As such, all appointing ministers are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information published on the appointments that they make.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government which minister is responsible for overseeing the accuracy of the portal for direct minister appointments.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As set out in the published Guidance on Making Direct Ministerial Appointments, the Cabinet Office has recently made changes to its public appointments digital platform to allow departments to record and track their data on Direct Ministerial Appointments. The Direct Ministerial Appointments announcement portal, which draws data from the digital platform and went live in December 2025, brings together public announcements for these appointments from across government. Departments should also add all existing DMAs to the portal.

Appointing ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the appointments they make and the responsibility for the publication of information about Direct Ministerial Appointments rests with individual departments. As such, all appointing ministers are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information published on the appointments that they make.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how often UK employer sponsors are reassessed for their suitability to assign certificates of sponsorship for a skilled worker visa.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

On each occasion a sponsor wishes to recruit a skilled worker and bring them to the UK from overseas, they must apply for a defined certificate of sponsorship. Every request is assessed against specific criteria, including ensuring the role is genuine and that appropriate salary levels will be paid.

Where a sponsor wishes to employ a skilled worker that is already working or studying legally in the UK, they require an undefined certificate of sponsorship. Some trusted sponsors receive an automated annual allocation of undefined certificates of sponsorship. Trusted sponsors are those that have robust HR systems and a positive track record of compliance with our policies and procedures. This is kept under constant review

However, any requests from those without an automated allocation or for additional certificates, requested in-year, are assessed in line with the process set out above

At each touch point a sponsor makes with the Immigration System, including the application for Certificates of Sponsorship, their suitability is assessed and if concerns are identified they are fully investigated. This has led to record numbers of revocations of Sponsor Licences during the tenure of this Government.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many and what percentage of new style Employment and Support Allowance applications were successful in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Initial Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Capability Assessment (WCA) by date of decision and ESA group allocation:

* Data is taken from Stat-Xplore. Volumes have been rounded to the nearest ten. Totals may not sum due to rounding and the disclosure control applied.

* The latest available data is for September 2025. Therefore, the 2025 volumes do not cover the entire year and are not comparable to the 2023 or 2024 volumes.

* New Style ESA applications and Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) are distinct processes, and successful outcomes are centrally collated only once a WCA has been completed. Not all applications proceed to a WCA. The only robust data source for successful outcomes is WCA data.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of cases have presenting officers from the Department for Work and Pensions been involved in regarding (1) first tier tribunals, and (2) upper tier tribunals, in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

To provide information on the percentage of first tier tribunal hearings across all DWP administered benefits would incur disproportionate costs.

The Department does not send Presenting Officers to Upper Tribunal hearings.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, of the new style Employment and Support Allowance applications granted in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025, how many were in the support group for (a) poor mental health as the primary condition, and (b) for any other reason.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Initial Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Capability Assessment (WCA) by date of decision and group allocation being Support Group (SG):

* Data is taken from Stat-Xplore. Volumes have been rounded to the nearest ten. Totals may not sum due to rounding and the disclosure control applied.

* New Style ESA ‘applications’ and Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) are distinct processes, and SG assignment is determined only once a WCA has been completed. Not all applications proceed to a WCA, and the primary health condition as per the International Classification of Diseases (2010) classification (ICD10) used in official statistics is captured at the WCA rather than on the application form. As a result, the only robust data source for SG outcomes by primary health condition is WCA data.

* The latest available data is for September 2025. Therefore, the 2025 volumes do not cover the entire year and are not comparable to the 2023 or 2024 volumes.

* ESA Group Allocation refers to the result of the WCA decision that been adjusted for appeal outcome. The outcome recorded is the final DWP Decision Maker's decision or appeal tribunal's decision or the recommendation made by the Healthcare Professional where the Decision Maker's decision is not yet available.

* ICD Group refers to the World Health Organisations' International Classification of Diseases (2010) Condition Groups. In DWP statistics, these are sometimes referred to as medical conditions. For reporting purposes, the conditions as recorded on the Employment Support Allowance Benefit system have been mapped to reflect as closely as possible the appropriate ICD10 code. Conditions are based on evidence provided at the start of the claim, this in itself does not confer entitlement to Employment and Support Allowance and may not represent a claimant's most recent medical condition. Where someone has more than one diagnosis or disabling condition, only the predominant one is reported on in these statistics.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, of the new style Employment and Support Allowance applications granted in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025, how many were in the work-related group for (a) poor mental health as the primary condition, and (b) for any other reason.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Initial Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Capability Assessment (WCA) by date of decision and group allocation being Work-Related Activity Group (WRAG):

* Data is taken from Stat-Xplore. Volumes have been rounded to the nearest ten. Totals may not sum due to rounding and the disclosure control applied.

* New Style ESA ‘applications’ and Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) are distinct processes, and WRAG assignment is determined only once a WCA has been completed. Not all applications proceed to a WCA, and the primary health condition as per the International Classification of Diseases (2010) classification (ICD10) used in official statistics is captured at the WCA rather than on the application form. As a result, the only robust data source for WRAG outcomes by health condition is WCA data.

* The latest available data is for September 2025. Therefore, the 2025 volumes do not cover the entire year and are not comparable to the 2023 or 2024 volumes.

* ESA Group Allocation refers to the result of the WCA decision that been adjusted for appeal outcome. The outcome recorded is the final DWP Decision Maker's decision or appeal tribunal's decision or the recommendation made by the Healthcare Professional where the Decision Maker's decision is not yet available.

* ICD Group refers to the World Health Organisations' International Classification of Diseases (2010) Condition Groups. In DWP statistics, these are sometimes referred to as medical conditions. For reporting purposes, the conditions as recorded on the Employment Support Allowance Benefit system have been mapped to reflect as closely as possible the appropriate ICD10 code. Conditions are based on evidence provided at the start of the claim, this in itself does not confer entitlement to Employment and Support Allowance and may not represent a claimant's most recent medical condition. Where someone has more than one diagnosis or disabling condition, only the predominant one is reported on in these statistics.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, what was the average length of time the Employment and Support Allowances were held for in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025 for those placed (a) in the support group, and (b) in the work-related group.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The median duration for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants in both (a) the support group and (b) the work-related activity group was over 5 years in all three years.

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