Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the potential financial impact of changing the eligibility to the health element of Universal Credit to people aged 22 on disabled young people aged between 18 and up to 22.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on the impacts of the “Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper” will be published in due course, with some information already published alongside the Spring Statement.
[https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper]
A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to ban the game entitled No Mercy.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government welcomes steps taken to remove this game from gaming platforms. The government has pledged to halve violence against women and girls, including where it occurs online, in a decade. We expect all platforms, including gaming sites in scope of the Online Safety Act, to comply with the law. This currently requires all user-to-user and search services to have systems and processes in place to remove illegal content, and in the coming months, to protect children from harmful content.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the water sector meets its obligations under the Water and Sewerage (Conservation, Access and Recreation) (Code of Practice) Order 2000.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It is water companies’ responsibility to comply with their obligations in respect of the Code of Practice on Conservation, Access and Recreation. The Secretary of State will take companies’ actual or likely non-compliance with the Code of Practice into account where applicable.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she plans to take to support cities outside London.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Spreading prosperity across the United Kingdom is a key pillar of the Growth Mission. The Government’s regional growth strategy will drive growth in city regions and make the most of the opportunities in each part of the country.
We are supporting the potential of city regions through the publication of the English Devolution Bill and the launch of integrated funding settlements, which will give local leaders a single, flexible funding pot to spend where their area needs. We will work side by side with our mayors, local leaders and the devolved governments to support regions to achieve their potential.
The government is supporting regional growth, with a total package worth over £3 billion in 2025-26 alone. We have unlocked private investment including setting a new strategic steer for the National Wealth Fund to deliver our ambition for growth across the country. We are supporting growth in the the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, including though delivering East-West Rail. We are also investing in economic infrastructure across the country, including via West Yorkshire Mass Transit which will transform connectivity in the region.
The Industrial Strategy will be published in spring 2025, alongside with the Spending Review, which will focus on eight growth-driving sectors, create a pro-business environment and support city-regions across the country.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to (a) improve responsible access to nature and (b) increase the right to roam.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our countryside and green spaces are a source of great national pride and boost public health and wellbeing, but too many across the country are left without access to the great outdoors. That is why the last Labour Government expanded public access by introducing the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which provided the public a right of access to large areas of mountain, moor, heath, down, registered common land and coastal margin in England.
We are continuing to increase access to nature for families to enjoy, for example through our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new National River Walks, plant three new National Forests, and empower communities to create new parks and green spaces in their communities with a new Community Right to Buy.
In addition, the Government has made the decision to repeal the cut-off date for the registration of historic rights of way, preventing the loss of hundreds of miles of unregistered paths. This will ensure that these paths remain available to the public for future generations.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she plans to take to (a) develop and (b) implement growth corridor plans like the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor in other regions.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor has recently announced the Government’s commitment to unlock growth in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, and the high potential sectors within it, as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.
The Government believes that strengthening east to west connections is essential to allow our whole economy, including outside the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, to meet its potential.
The Government’s regional growth strategy will drive growth in city regions and make the most of the opportunities in each part of the country. Spreading prosperity across the United Kingdom is a key pillar of the Growth Mission.
The Industrial Strategy will also be published in spring 2025, alongside with the Spending Review, which will focus on eight growth-driving sectors, create a pro-business environment and support high-potential clusters, city-regions and industrial sites across the country.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) she and (b) her officials discussed the China audit with (i) Ministers and (ii) officials in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office ahead of her visit to the People's Republic of China.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK Government is carrying out an audit to examine the UK's interests with respect to China to improve our ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has discussed various topics, including the China audit, with the Secretary of State of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. HM Treasury officials speak regularly with officials in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42281 on Defence Equipment: Technology, what percentage of his Department's equipment procurement budget was spent on novel technology (a) as of 22 April 2025 and (b) in each of the last five financial years.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence continues to invest significant funding into novel technologies such as various uncrewed systems and our cutting edge Directed Energy Weapons. Further detail on the novel technologies ringfence will be finalised through the Spending Review.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to replace the Multi-role Electronically Scanned-Array radar on the E-7A Wedgetail fleet with a US-developed replacement.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
There are no plans to replace the existing Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array radar currently fitted on the UK E-7 Wedgetail Fleet.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to Question 41390 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty tabled by the hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford on 26 March 2025.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I responded to the right hon. Member on 23 April 2025.