Every parliamentary written question tabled by Damien Egan this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 142 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure parity of recognition between Fire Control staff and other operational personnel who contribute to incident response, including thos
Control staff are a vital part of Fire and Rescue services and it is right that their outstanding work is recognised. Chief Fire Officers, and senior leaders, should ensure that nominations for recognition of deserving members of staff, should be consider...
What backlog remains outstanding for DLA and PIP applications, and what measures are being taken to speed up processing times for DLA and PIP applications.
We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Disability Living Allowance for children (DLAc) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner. Reducing customer journey times for our claimants is a priority for the De...
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the eligibility criteria applied to Fire Control staff for the award of the Platinum Jubilee Medal, Diamond Jubilee Medal, and Gold
The eligibility criteria for each Jubilee medal were agreed across government, in consultation with the Devolved Administrations, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, and approved by the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals an...
What steps she is taking to help ensure that (a) communications between parents of children with special educational needs and local authorities are transparent and (b) authorities are accountable in their deci
Local authorities are responsible for identifying, assessing and meeting the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and should communicate openly with children, young people and their families.The SEND Co...
Whether her Department plans to provide further support to care leavers attending university.
All eligible care leavers, regardless of age or personal circumstances, who are attending undergraduate higher education courses in the 2026/27 academic year, will be eligible for the maximum loan for living costs, removing key barriers to accessing educa...
What measures her Department will take to ensure adequate support is in place for integrating SEND pupils into mainstream educational settings as part of its planned SEND reforms.
The department is improving access to specialist support in mainstream settings through an investment of £1.8 billion over the next three years for local area partnerships, including local authorities and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), to deliver a new Ex...
What assessment he has made of the transparency and accountability mechanisms in place for monitoring Capita’s administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.To ensure transparency and accountability, the Cabinet Office monitors the contract through the application of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). As defined in Section 52(1) of the Procurement Act 2023, a KPI is a measure against which a supplier’s performance can be assessed throughout the life-cycle of a contract. By setting specific targets for the desired level of performance within the contract itself, the contracting authority can accurately measure and demonstrate the supplier’s progress.Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already been applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme. The Cabinet Office will continue to use all available commercial levers to hold Capita to account and ensure they deliver the contractual service levels.
What steps are being taken to prevent abuse of social care staff, including threatening unemployment, wage theft, and abuse of overtime.
The Department works closely with regulators, local authorities, other departments, and enforcement bodies to share concerns and intelligence about illegal or unethical practices in adult social care.The Government is creating the Fair Work Agency (FWA) to simplify the labour market enforcement system and build an economy based on fair competition and fair reward for hard work. It will bring enforcement functions of three existing bodies together, into one place, so employment rights are enforced more effectively and efficiently.The FWA will be responsible for enforcing domestic agency rules, the national minimum wage, licensing standards for gangmasters, and acting against serious labour exploitation.The FWA will be implemented in phases following Royal Assent of the Employment Rights Bill, with the FWA being established in April 2026.
What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Probation Service's current workload on processing casework; and what steps his Department is taking to support recruitment and retention, and staff morale.
The Probation Service continues to face capacity and workload pressures. The Probation Service uses management information to support local and national oversight of workloads.The Government recognises the pressures created by increased demand and is determined to bring probation capacity into balance with caseloads. We are doing so through sustained recruitment of probation officers, improving staff retention, and reducing workloads through the Our Future Probation Service (OFPS) Programme, with a target to have released 25% additional capacity by April 2027.The Government is committed to investing significant funds to improve the Probation Service and has announced a new commitment to onboard at least 1,300 additional new trainee probation officers in 2026/27. This is on top of the 1,000 brought in in 2024/25 and the 1,300 committed to for 2025/26.There is a comprehensive approach by HMPPS to tackle retention challenges across both the Probation and Prison Services. Central to this effort is the Retention Framework, which sets out how data, research and insight should be used to understand local and national drivers of attrition, guide targeted interventions, and embed retention as a core, ongoing workforce priority aligned to the People Strategy.We recognise the ongoing workload pressures across our services, and that supporting staff wellbeing is critical. To address this, a comprehensive wellbeing support offer has been established across HMPPS, with Staff Support and Wellbeing Leads in place to drive wellbeing priorities consistently across both prison and probation areas.
What steps her Department is taking to improve police responsiveness and investigative outcomes for victims of romance fraud.
The Government published the Fraud Strategy 2026-2029 on 9 March. This includes targeted measures to improve police responsiveness and investigative outcomes for all forms of fraud.The strategy launched the Online Crime Centre (OCC), backed by over £30million of Government investment. The OCC will unite UK policing, the UK Intelligence Community alongside private sector partners from the financial, telecoms, technology and cyber industries to disrupt fraud at scale including romance fraud.Report Fraud, the new, streamlined reporting service, which launched publicly in January, improves the service for victims of fraud and provides better intelligence for police. The strategy also highlighted the measurement of police performance through the PEEL inspection programme.We will transfer overall responsibility for fraud into the new National Police Service, as part of the wider Police Reforms to ensure a stronger and more streamlined police response.
Communities and Local Government, what consideration his Department has given to strengthening regulatory interfaces, including the UK’s machinery and building‑safety frameworks, to ensure that lifts, doors, and other powered egress‑related systems allow for rapid evacuation of vulnerable residents during fire emergencies.
The government is reviewing the recommendation from the Grenfell Inquiry to mandate fire safety strategies for higher risk buildings. Such strategies would require a building’s responsible person to set out clear plans for what vulnerable people should do to evacuate in an emergency. Additionally, government has committed to review and update guidance to the Building Regulations set out in Approved Document B (Fire Safety). The Building Safety Regulator has launched a public consultation setting out proposals including new provisions for evacuation lifts in residential buildings over 18 metres to support safe evacuation of residents who may not be able to use stairs. The consultation closes on 17 June 2026.
What steps his Department is taking to improve transparency in Child Maintenance Service decision‑making.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to making its decisions clear, accessible, and transparent.Whenever a decision is made that affects a child maintenance calculation or payment arrangements, CMS issues notifications to customers explaining the outcome. Where the maintenance calculation changes, customers are provided with information setting out how the new calculation has been reached.CMS is taking steps to improve communications with parents by simplifying content and retiring outdated letters. In addition, the online My Child Maintenance Case service enables parents to view their case details, track changes, check their current position and view digital copies of notifications at any time. CMS are continuing to develop this service to provide even more information to customers.
What estimate her Department has made of driving test waiting times at test centres serving Kingswood.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working hard to reduce waiting times for car practical tests whilst upholding road safety standards. DVSA wants all customers to be able to access a driving test when they are ready to pass, to enable people to get to places of study or work and break down barriers to opportunity. The table below shows the average waiting time in weeks for February 2026, and number of tests booked and available at the nearest four driving test centres (DTC) to Kingswood of 23 March 2026.Driving test centre (DTC)Average car practical driving test waiting time (February 2026)Booked tests (as of 23 March 2026)Tests available in 24 week booking window (as of 23 March 2026)Bristol (Kingswood)24 weeks4,442127Bristol (Avonmouth)24 weeks4,404124Chippenham24 weeks3,053182Trowbridge*24 weeks4601*Trowbridge is a taking the test to the customer site so may not be open every day.Between June 2025 – February 2026, at the four DTCs above, DVSA conducted 2,372 additional car practical driving tests in overtime, when compared to the equivalent overtime scheme between June 2024 – February 2025. This increase can largely be attributed to the additional test allowance scheme the agency introduced in June 2025.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the five week wait for Universal Credit payments on prison leavers with limited or no support networks; and what steps his Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that people leaving custody do not face immediate financial insecurity or debt.
The Department has over 200 Work Coaches based in prisons across Great Britain providing benefit advice and support to individuals, including booking an appointment at their local jobcentre on or soon after their day of release. When a claim is made for Universal Credit, the customer will receive their first award around five weeks after the claim is made, this period is known as the initial assessment period. This process ensures that customers are paid their correct entitlement, based on verified information, and reduces the risk of significant overpayments occurring. If a customer needs support before their first payment is made, a New Claims Advance of up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit entitlement is available at any time during the initial assessment period. With such an advance, customers receive an additional Universal Credit payment, resulting in 25 payments over a 24-month period. Crucially for prison leavers, this means that financial support can be accessed from day one of the claim subject to verification. I am currently undertaking a review of Universal Credit. The five week wait for Universal Credit is one of the topics being considered in the review.
What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the NHS prescription exemption-checking system.
While the Department has not undertaken a formal evaluation of the National Health Service prescription exemption‑checking system, it has put in place arrangements to balance timely access to medicines with proportionate protection of public funds.The Prescription Exemption Checking Service, delivered by the NHS Business Services Authority on behalf of the Department and NHS England, operates retrospectively by checking a random sample of prescriptions where an exemption has been claimed, using data held by the NHS Business Services Authority and the Department for Work and Pensions. These checks typically take approximately three months to complete. Where entitlement cannot be confirmed, a staged enquiry process allows individuals to clarify or evidence their eligibility before any penalty is applied.Alongside this, Real Time Exemption Checking enables exemption status to be verified at the point of dispensing and is now used by approximately 95% of community pharmacies in England. Where an exemption is confirmed in real time, the prescription is automatically flagged as exempt and no retrospective penalty charge can be issued, reducing incorrect charges and follow‑up correspondence. Taken together, these arrangements are intended to ensure exemption checking is fair, proportionate, and effective in protecting NHS resources.
Which national body has responsibility for routinely auditing prescribing data to identify GP repeat-prescribing of topical corticosteroids that is (a) long-term and (b) high-potency.
The NHS Business Services Authority collects and publishes prescribing data for primary care in England. NHS England and the Department do not routinely audit data to identify general practice repeat-prescribing of topical corticosteroids that is long-term and high-potency. Responsibility for reviewing repeat prescribing practices sits with individual practices and their commissioners, who are expected to ensure prescribing is safe, appropriate, and in line with relevant clinical guidance.
What assessment he has made of the issues faced by carers working in the gig economy in maintaining eligibility for Carer’s Allowance; and whether his Department has assessed the potential merits of reforms to address volatility in earnings for such workers.
Unpaid carers are vital – to the people they support, to their community, and to our country. We acknowledge and value the important contribution made by unpaid carers every day in providing vital care and continuity of support to family and friends with disabilities. Universal Credit provides financial support for carers on low incomes and is designed to accommodate fluctuations in earnings. Around 68% of unpaid carers receiving support from the benefit system receive it via Universal Credit. For carers in England and Wales who are unable to access Universal Credit, Carer’s Allowance can provide financial support. This is available to those who are providing unpaid care for 35 hours a week or more, and whose weekly earnings are at or below 16 hours at the National Living Wage after allowable expenses. These include costs associated with securing alternative care arrangements for the person with care needs. Around 15% of people receiving Carer’s Allowance have earnings. Where earnings are not paid weekly, they can be averaged over a period that best reflects the carer’s working patterns. Where possible, the Department looks for a regular "cycle" or pattern in earnings to achieve this. For cases where fluctuations in earnings are irregular, the Department has recently clarified the processes relating to averaging and publicised them on GOV.UK and in letters sent to Carer’s Allowance recipients. Income other than earnings does not affect entitlement to Carer’s Allowance.
Whether (a) NHS England and (b) his Department has considered introducing a national (i) prescribing indicator and (ii) thematic audit on (A) long-term and (B) high-potency topical corticosteroid use.
Neither NHS England nor the Department have considered introducing a national prescribing indicator and thematic audit on long-term and high-potency topical corticosteroid use.Auditing of general practice (GP) prescribing data is usually undertaken by practice pharmacists or medicines optimisation teams locally. GPs, pharmacists, or a suitably qualified healthcare professional are expected to carry out a regular Structured Medication Review (SMR) of a patient’s medication. SMRs are an evidence-based and comprehensive review of a patient’s medication, taking into consideration all aspects of their health.
What steps his Department has taken to support carers whose earnings fluctuate from week to week; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of variable income patterns on levels of continued eligibility for Carer’s Allowance.
Unpaid carers are vital – to the people they support, to their community, and to our country. We acknowledge and value the important contribution made by unpaid carers every day in providing vital care and continuity of support to family and friends with disabilities. Universal Credit provides financial support for carers on low incomes and is designed to accommodate fluctuations in earnings. Around 68% of unpaid carers receiving support from the benefit system receive it via Universal Credit. For carers in England and Wales who are unable to access Universal Credit, Carer’s Allowance can provide financial support. This is available to those who are providing unpaid care for 35 hours a week or more, and whose weekly earnings are at or below 16 hours at the National Living Wage after allowable expenses. These include costs associated with securing alternative care arrangements for the person with care needs. Around 15% of people receiving Carer’s Allowance have earnings. Where earnings are not paid weekly, they can be averaged over a period that best reflects the carer’s working patterns. Where possible, the Department looks for a regular "cycle" or pattern in earnings to achieve this. For cases where fluctuations in earnings are irregular, the Department has recently clarified the processes relating to averaging and publicised them on GOV.UK and in letters sent to Carer’s Allowance recipients. Income other than earnings does not affect entitlement to Carer’s Allowance.
What steps her Department is taking to assist UK citizens whose children have been rendered stateless as a result of incorrect advice regarding dual nationality provided by foreign authorities; and if she will review guidance and support available to families affected.
As responsibility for nationality rests with the Home Office, this has been transferred to the Secretary of State for the Home Department for a substantive response.Where a child is not a British citizen at birth, UK law provides a number of statutory routes which allow children to be registered as British citizens where the relevant legal criteria are met, including in circumstances where the child would otherwise be stateless. British nationality law allows dual nationality, but it is for other states to set and apply their own nationality laws.