Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) increase capacity and (b) ensure more passengers are able to be seated on services into London on South Western Railway.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is working closely with South Western Railway on the introduction of the Arterio fleet which will add the much needed additional capacity and seats on services into London. In the meantime, South Western Railway is managing the rest of its train fleet to ensure that capacity is prioritised where it is most needed.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that timeframes imposed by the Child Maintenance Service are (a) proportionate and (b) matched by equivalent service standards within the Department.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have interpreted your question to refer to the timescales the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) uses in progressing cases.
The CMS inform customers of expected timeframes for actions to be completed when changes are reported or require progressing. Customers can use the Track Changes function on MCMC at any time to view the expected completion date of changes.
The timescales to progress cases varies depending on the type of case action being taken and information required to progress any change. When CMS require additional information to progress a case, the customer is advised of the timeframe for providing the information required.
The CMS has four official key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure that the service acts on information and progresses cases in a timely manner once received from the customer. These KPIs include standard measures for 1) assessment accuracy, 2) application clearances, 3) change of circumstances clearances and 4) Collect and Pay compliance.
The CMS has exceeded the KPI indicators, demonstrating that it is meeting the standards set by the department. We are always working to modernise our service and how we communicate with our customers. We also work closely with the wider DWP colleagues to ensure measures and timescales are compared for consistency, where appropriate.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of allowing asylum seekers to work unrestricted by the Immigration Salary List after six months awaiting an asylum decision on (a) the economy and (b) community cohesion.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 4 June to Question 55328.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Child Maintenance Service late payment fees being deducted from maintenance payments on receiving parents and children.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) does not charge late payment fees. It does charge fees to paying parents and receiving parents who are on the Collect and Pay service: twenty per cent on top of the maintenance liability for the paying parent and four per cent of the maintenance received for the receiving parent.
A case will only be moved to Collect and Pay if the paying parent agrees to Collect and Pay, or if they demonstrate an unwillingness to pay their maintenance liability. This is why paying parents are charged a higher fee (20 per cent) as they have more control on whether the case is put into Collect and Pay. The collection charge is only deducted when the maintenance is paid.
In July 2024 the government consulted on the proposal for wider reform to consolidate the CMS into a single service type where the CMS monitors and transfers payments. The consultation Improving the collection and transfer of payments, also proposed a new fee structure of just 2% for receiving parents, deducted from maintenance received; 2% for compliant paying parents, on top of maintenance owed; and 20% for non-compliant paying parents, on top of maintenance owed. The consultation received over 2,700 public responses, and engagement from stakeholder organisations across the UK in addition to commissioning research to help quantify the impact of the reforms.
The Government published its response to the consultation on the 23 June setting out its intention to proceed with reform of the system. More information can be found at Government response: Child Maintenance: Improving the collection and transfer of payments - GOV.UK
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to Contemporary Visual Arts Network England’s report entitled, Framing the Future: The Political Case for Strengthening the Visual Arts Ecosystem, published on 7 May 2025, what assessment she has made of the contribution of the visual arts to (a) economic growth, (b) education and skills, (c) health and wellbeing in setting the budget for visual arts funding.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The visual arts sector provides a tremendous boost to our economy, and helps solidify the UK’s reputation as a world leader in the arts. While DCMS economic estimates do not estimate the growth of the visual arts separately from the wider arts sub-sector, DCMS estimates that the arts sector contributed £9 billion in GVA to the UK economy in 2023. The sector grew by 2.4% between 2022 and 2023 (compared to 0.3% in the UK economy as a whole).
Across the spending review (SR) period, DCMS will be delivering funding across its major capital programmes, supporting local institutions and leveraging economic growth across the regions. Millions of pounds will go to our Arms-Length Bodies over the SR period including Arts Council England who will continue to support visual arts programmes and projects across the country. The visual arts sector will also benefit from cross-cutting measures in the Sector Plan and Industrial Strategy, where it is recognised as a high growth potential subsector alongside music and performing arts.
Creative subjects - including visual arts - are important elements of the rounded and enriching education every child deserves. That is why DCMS is supporting the Department for Education’s independent Curriculum and Assessment Review. The Review seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. This includes creative subjects such as art. DfE has published an interim report, and the government will respond to the final recommendations in the autumn. In February, we also announced that we will be providing £3.2 million in funding for four cultural education programmes for the 2025/26 financial year to preserve increased access to arts for children and young people.
We are also unlocking £132.5 million from Dormant Assets to support youth access to music, arts, sport and safe spaces, including youth centres and libraries. This will take money that would have gone unused and ensure it is invested in our young people.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 ensure that babies and young children are included in the 10-Year Health Plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever.
The 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service will make it fit for the future. This includes policies that will impact on babies, and young children. The plan will draw directly from the extensive engagement we have undertaken with the public, patients, and staff, including organisations who represent babies and young children as well as children themselves.
We are in the final stages of developing the plan and will publish it shortly.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the No Recourse to Public Funds policy on the mental health of asylum seekers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 29 May to Question 53554.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) responsiveness and (b) accountability of the Child Maintenance Service when people request clarification of figures used in their assessments.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service are wholly committed to delivering the best possible service to all customers within our growing caseload.
To ensure calculations are accurate the department continues to build on its already proportionate and cost-effective controls, such as:
In all instances where a new calculation is made both parents will receive a written breakdown of the figures used in the calculation which also includes advice on where to learn more about child maintenance calculations, how to contact the Child Maintenance Service and how to raise a dispute if they disagree with the calculation.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) accuracy and (b) transparency of Special Expenses calculations by the Child Maintenance Service for (i) flights, (ii) fuel and (iii) other high-cost contact travel.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions and Child Maintenance Service rigorously monitors accuracy as part of our service ambition to further reduce error and increase our accuracy levels. The National Audit Office set a target of monetary value errors under 1%. This standard is consistently met.
Since applications for special expense variations relate to the Paying Parents’ own expenditure, Paying Parents are expected to provide any information and evidence needed to support their application. Guidance for DWP decision makers on child maintenance, in relation to Variation decisions is available in the following link Volume 3 - Variations (Chapters 27-36).
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Child Maintenance Service takes to provide clear explanations and evidence when rejecting claims submitted by paying parents.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) trains caseworkers in making effective decisions, which includes explaining decisions effectively to customers and issuing letters containing information about the different factors considered and rules applied when making decisions. Caseworkers also adhere to a ‘contact hierarchy’ when assessing the most suitable form of communication, which gives them the discretion to consider other forms of contact if they deem appropriate.
CMS will investigate any claims received from Paying Parents and make decisions based on evidence provided or corroborated by other sources. If a decision is made to reject a claim, they will clearly explain in writing the reason for the decision, how to contact CMS to discuss it further, and the rights of dispute and appeal.
When a customer requests CMS to review a decision, known as a Mandatory Reconsideration, CMS will review any evidence held that informed the original decision, alongside any further evidence submitted by the deadline to inform the outcome of the Mandatory Reconsideration.
CMS issues a written Mandatory Reconsideration Notice to all customers involved in the case. The letter includes information on the type of decision reviewed, the date the original decision was made and the effective date, as well as the Mandatory Reconsideration outcome and reason for the decision.