Written questions by Mierlo.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of consumer protection and reimbursement for victims of authorised push payment and investment frauds that occurred before 7 October 2024.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the treatment of NHS staff employed on honorary contracts in recruitment processes during periods of hiring freezes; and whether such staff are classified as internal candidates for the purposes of those processes.

Awaiting answer.

Pursuant to WPQ 125951 submitted on the 30th March, what the new cost per minute of call is under the rates agreed for the period between 1 April 2025 to 31 May 2027.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Pursuant to the response of 20 April 2026 to question 126112, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Service Pupil Premium in meeting the additional needs of pupils who are the children of service personnel.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of ADI part 2 and ADI part 3 tests in Oxfordshire.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is aware that demand for approved driving instructor (ADI) part 2 and part 3 tests is high in some areas across the country and recognises the time constraints this may place on trainee driving instructors. As ADI examiners are deployed across multiple test centres, understanding when and where candidates wish to take tests helps DVSA deploy examiner resource appropriately. Consequently, DVSA does not publish waiting times for ADI tests. DVSA has recruited, and continues to recruit, additional ADI examiners and has increased its capacity to train new examiners.

What assessment his department has made of the adequacy of Capita’s progress towards meeting the June 2026 deadline for clearing the Civil Service Pension Scheme backlog; and whether his Department has contingency plans.

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. 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. Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March. Capita has made lump sum payments to 9,873 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April. To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, including those who have been dismissed with compensation, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time. The Cabinet Office has mandated Capita that they must restore service levels by the end of June 2026. We are using every commercial lever at our disposal, including withholding payments for deliverables that have not been met. We also reserve the right to take further formal action to ensure the service returns to the required standards. The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

What steps he is taking to ensure that coronial complaints procedures are independent and transparent; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of measures in place to prevent conflicts of interest within that process.

Coroners are independent judges, but operational responsibility for coroner services lies with the lead local authorities which fund and administer of each of the 74 coroner areas in England and Wales. Whist the framework of accountability in the coronial jurisdiction is therefore complex, it is nevertheless robust and transparent. Complaints about the standard of service provided in the context of a coroner’s investigation should be raised in the first instance with the coroner’s office and/or with the funding local authority. If the complainant remains dissatisfied, the matter can be reported to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (https://www.lgo.org.uk/make-a-complaint), which aims to provide a remedy to complaints through impartial and fair investigation. The Ombudsman cannot investigate a coroner’s decisions as an independent judge. However, these can be challenged through the judicial review process or, in some circumstances, by applying to the Attorney General for leave to apply to the High Court for a fresh inquest. Complaints about the personal conduct of coroners should be made to the independent Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (https://www.complaints.judicialconduct.gov.uk/).

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution of the Hon Member for Chester North and Neston in the eight sitting of the Representation of the People Bill Committee, 16 April 2026, col 359, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of drafting and publishing a report assessing a range of options to support postal voting for overseas electors.

The Department has not made a specific estimate of the cost of drafting and publishing such a report. As set out during the Representation of the People Bill Committee, the Government considers that the issues raised have already been extensively examined. In the 2025 policy paper, Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections, the Government set out a package of measures intended to improve the resilience and responsiveness of the postal voting system overall. These measures include moving the postal vote application, and candidate nomination deadlines earlier in the electoral timetable. This will provide more time for the production, distribution and return of postal vote packs. These changes will benefit all administrators and voters, including those living overseas.

With reference to the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000, what recent assessment she has made of the future viability of (a) parent funded school transport schemes and (b) spare seat schemes.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set minimum accessibility requirements for buses and coaches, designed to carry over twenty-two passengers and used on local or scheduled services. They support millions of disabled people, including young people and children, to make the journeys important in their lives. PSVAR have applied to certain home-to-school (HTS) services for 25 years. In response to widespread non-compliance in the sector, including HTS services where spare capacity is sold, the government issued exemptions to enable these essential services to continue operating whilst operators procured compliant coaches. The current Medium-Term Exemptions (MTE) for HTS and rail replacement coach services expire on 31st July. In 2023 the previous Government began a review of PSVAR, including inviting feedback from local authority commissioners, providers and users of transport services, through a Call for Evidence, with a view to understanding the extent to which the Regulations remained appropriate and continued to serve disabled passengers. We continue to work with partners to understand the best way forward and we will announce our proposed next steps on PSVAR, including a decision on the future of the MTE scheme and its implications for HTS services, soon.

With reference to the Department's Research and analysis paper entitled Removing the two-child limit on Universal Credit, whether the calculation that the removal of the two-child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty has taken in to account how many of those households will now be impacted by the benefit cap.

The Department for Work and Pensions’ Policy Simulation Model (PSM) was used to model the impact of the removal of the two-child limit on Universal Credit. The PSM uses household characteristics, caseload forecasts and benefit rules to estimate policy impacts for each year, currently up to and including FYE 2031. It is estimated that there will be 450,000 fewer children in relative poverty after housing costs in the final year of parliament (FYE 2030) as a result of the removal of the two-child limit within Universal Credit, compared to baseline projections. This estimate takes full account of the benefit cap, which is modelled in both the baseline and policy projections. Removing the two-child limit on Universal Credit: Impact on low income poverty levels in the United Kingdom - GOV.UK

What assessment his Department has made of the trends in the level of petrol and diesel prices within regions; and what steps he is taking to ensure consistent pricing for consumers.

Fuel markets are governed by competition and consumer law, overseen by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The Government and the CMA are closely monitoring petrol and diesel prices in light of instability in the Middle East, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer and my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State recently met with fuel retailers to set out a clear message: unfair practices will not be tolerated. We are also engaging regularly with refiners, importers and distributors to ensure any emerging risks are identified and managed promptly. The government has also introduced the statutory Fuel Finder scheme, which will increase transparency for UK road fuel prices, including providing localised data for prices across the UK, and the CMA have the power to take enforcement action for non-compliance.

Communities and Local Government, if he will publish his Department's review on deadlines and practices relating to the dispatching of postal ballots.

The Government is committed to strengthening the resilience of our electoral processes, including the postal voting system. In the 2025 policy paper, Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections the Government set out a package of proposals intended to improve the overall resilience and responsiveness of postal voting. These include moving the postal vote application, and candidate nomination deadlines earlier in the election timetable. This will provide more time for the production, distribution and return of postal votes. This package of measures is now being delivered as part of the Representation of the People Bill 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, what her planned timetable is for publishing her Department's full response to the Biodiversity Net Gain consultation.

On 15 April 2026 we published the Government response to the summer 2025 consultations: BNG for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and Improving BNG implementation for minor, medium and brownfield development. On the same date we launched a new consultation on an additional targeted exemption for residential brownfield development, which closes on 10 June 2026.

Whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Justice on protecting maternity safety campaigners from Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has assessed the potential merits of requiring providers of digital landline services to provide a battery back-up of greater than one hour duration for vulnerable and landline dependent customers.

The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks from the industry-led migration of the copper based Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for everyone across the UK.In November 2024, the Government secured additional safeguards from the telecoms industry. These include the provision of free battery back-ups for vulnerable and landline dependent customers to ensure access to emergency services go beyond one hour in a power outage. Many communication providers have gone further, providing battery back-ups of 4-7 hours. This includes Vodafone, BT, KCOM, and Zen Internet. Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, are responsible for setting minimum standards.In March 2026, the Government and industry agreed a new Fixed Telecoms Charter to extend these safeguards to all future fixed telecoms modernisation programmes.

If she will bring forward guidance for parents who have been released from prison on co-parenting and handling children's emotional response.

The government is supporting all families, including parents who have been released from prison through Best Start Family Hubs (BSFHs) and Healthy Babies, backed by over £900 million investment over the next three years, to deliver a more connected, prevention-led system that improves outcomes for babies, children and their families.The recently published ‘Best Start Family Hubs’ guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/best-start-family-hubs-and-healthy-babies-guidance-for-local-authorities.This guidance sets out expectations for local authorities to provide inclusive, accessible and joined up support for families facing disadvantage or disruption. This includes promoting strong parent child relationships, supporting positive co-parenting, and addressing children’s social and emotional development, through advice and support for all families, with proactive outreach to disadvantaged groups.Best Start Family Hubs act as a single, local front door to support, including evidence-based parenting programmes and support for parents. Local authorities are expected to take a proactive and inclusive outreach approach, working with voluntary and community sector partners where appropriate, to engage seldom‑heard and disadvantaged families and reduce barriers to access.

If he will include anti-SLAPP legislation in the King's Speech in May 2026.

Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) have a chilling effect on public participation and freedom of expression, posing a threat to our legal system and democracy. The Government is committed to tackling SLAPPs and is considering all options for reform to address this issue.The legislative programme for the second session will be set out in the King’s Speech on 13 May 2026.

What assessment he has made of the quality and timeliness of services provided to victims of crime by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the 2012 Scheme) does not prescribe a time limit for applications to be decided.Most applications are decided within 12 months. Each case must be considered on its own facts. In most cases, CICA requires information from third parties such as the police and medical authorities in order to decide a claim.Some applications will by necessity take longer to decide. This could be where information is not available due to ongoing court proceedings, where CICA needs time to assess the long-term impact of complex injuries (e.g. brain injuries), or where there is an application for loss of earnings (which requires at least 28 weeks of loss).CICA understands the importance of its role in giving recognition, redress and closure to its applicants. It works closely with a range of victims’ organisations including those that are members of its biannual Stakeholder Engagement Forum. This continues to provide valuable insights which help to inform how it can further improve its service.On 4 August 2025 I visited CICA staff at their offices in Glasgow to see for myself and better understand the work that they do, both to process applications and to make future improvements to their service. I hope it will reassure you that throughout my visit, it was very clear to me that staff are committed to making the compensation application process as straightforward as possible and to minimise its potential for re-traumatisation of victims. Clear and sensitive communication is a clear priority. I was struck on my visit by the organisation’s clear dedication to supporting victims through their application journey.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending eligibility for the meningococcal B vaccination to children and young people who were not eligible for the routine infant immunisation programme introduced in 2015.

Meningococcal disease is an uncommon but serious disease caused by meningococcal bacteria. The MenACWY vaccine offers good protection against several strains of meningococcal disease and is routinely offered to teenagers in school years 9 and 10. However, it does not protect against all strains. Other strains, such as Meningitis B (MenB), can circulate among young adults.Decisions on vaccination programmes follow independent expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI does not currently recommend a routine MenB booster vaccination for adolescents and young adults, however the JCVI routinely reviews new evidence as it emerges and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has asked them to reexamine eligibility for meningitis vaccines.The importance of raising awareness in parents, teenagers, and other adults about the signs and symptoms of meningitis remains key. There are a range of resources developed by the UK Health Security Agency, co-branded with the National Health Service, that set out these key messages and their importance, such as the teenage guide to immunisation.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the change in the quality of service for customers moved from analogue to digital landline services, including the clarity and audibility of phone services and the unexpected disconnection of calls.

The analogue Public Switched Telephone Network’s (PSTN) replacement technology is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Ofcom have confirmed that VoIP technology enables communication providers to offer consumers and businesses clearer and better-quality phone calls and additional features. VoIP can also be used to block scam calls (BT Digital Voice blocks over 17,000 scam calls every day).Ofcom, the independent regulator, is responsible for assessing VoIP services, and has done so since the early 2000’s. Whilst Ofcom are responsible for regulating communication providers, the Government has acted to ensure consumers are protected during the upgrade. In March 2026, major communication providers and network operators signed the Fixed Telecoms Modernisation Charter to enhance protections for customers during any telecoms modernisation, including the PSTN migration to VoIP.