Written questions by Byrne.

Whether his Department is responsible for the residual liabilities associated with the former DWP office at the junction of St Margaret's Avenue and Church Walk in Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North constituency.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to the policy papers entitled Spending Review 2025, published on 30 June 2025, and Budget 2025, published on 28 November 2025, what their Department’s capital Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) will be in each year of the Spending Review period; how much capital funding has been allocated to each of their Department’s programmes; and how much and what proportion of the capital DEL allocation remains unallocated in each year.

DWP secured £1.0bn (2026/27), £0.8bn (2027/28), £0.6bn (2028/29) and £0.5bn (2029/30) in capital (CDEL) funding through the Spending Review. The Department is currently undertaking its internal business planning process, through which it will set programme budgets ahead of the new financial year. Details on DWP budgets are to be published in the explanatory memo for the 2026/27 Main Estimate.

How many pensioners are in receipt of the State Pension in each (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary constituency in (i) Birmingham and (ii) Solihull; and what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the increase to the State Pension in the next financial year.

The number of pensioners in receipt of the State Pension in each (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary constituency in (i) Birmingham and (ii) Solihull are provided in the following tables. These figures are for the quarter ending August 2024 and are available at DWP Stat-Xplore. (a) (i) - Birmingham Local Authority WardState Pension CaseloadAcocks Green2,848Allens Cross1,590Alum Rock1,809Aston1,890Balsall Heath West1,083Bartley Green3,565Billesley3,045Birchfield1,027Bordesley and Highgate671Bordesley Green875Bournbrook and Selly Park1,251Bournville and Cotteridge3,502Brandwood and King's Heath2,850Bromford and Hodge Hill2,462Castle Vale1,449Druids Heath and Monyhull1,661Edgbaston2,509Erdington3,155Frankley Great Park1,825Garretts Green1,208Glebe Farm and Tile Cross2,689Gravelly Hill1,052Hall Green North2,806Hall Green South1,830Handsworth1,081Handsworth Wood2,716Harborne3,363Heartlands888Highter's Heath1,663Holyhead956King's Norton North2,110King's Norton South1,609Kingstanding2,714Ladywood1,227Longbridge and West Heath3,498Lozells703Moseley3,189Nechells857Newtown755North Edgbaston2,030Northfield1,970Oscott2,948Perry Barr2,948Perry Common1,714Pype Hayes1,546Quinton3,392Rubery and Rednal1,878Shard End1,729Sheldon3,353Small Heath1,673Soho and Jewellery Quarter1,574South Yardley1,393Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East1,929Sparkhill1,783Stirchley1,271Stockland Green2,553Sutton Four Oaks2,336Sutton Mere Green2,303Sutton Reddicap1,743Sutton Roughley2,354Sutton Trinity1,982Sutton Vesey4,317Sutton Walmley and Minworth3,881Sutton Wylde Green2,441Tyseley and Hay Mills1,070Ward End964Weoley and Selly Oak3,202Yardley East1,751Yardley West and Stechford1,290 (a) (ii) - Solihull Local Authority WardState Pension CaseloadBickenhill2,540Blythe2,761Castle Bromwich2,725Chelmsley Wood1,988Dorridge and Hockley Heath2,692Elmdon2,464Kingshurst and Fordbridge1,784Knowle3,167Lyndon2,434Meriden3,121Olton2,772Shirley East2,371Shirley South2,859Shirley West2,687Silhill2,789Smith's Wood1,868St Alphege3,214 (b) (i) - Birmingham Parliamentary ConstituencyState Pension CaseloadBirmingham Edgbaston14,853Birmingham Erdington16,063Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley13,148Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North14,525Birmingham Ladywood8,847Birmingham Northfield16,997Birmingham Perry Barr12,384Birmingham Selly Oak14,322Birmingham Yardley13,381Sutton Coldfield21,356 (b) (ii) - Solihull Parliamentary ConstituencyState Pension CaseloadBirmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North14,525Meriden and Solihull East20,545Solihull West and Shirley19,100 In 2025/26, it is estimated the total State Pension expenditure will increase by around £9bn (in nominal terms). This estimation is available in the latest Benefit Expenditure and Caseload tables published at Autumn Budget 2024. Source: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2024 - GOV.UK

What estimate she has made of the impact on economic growth of the measures announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper.

The trend of economic inactivity is a long-term challenge; the UK is the only country in the G7 with an inactivity rate higher than before the pandemic. Building a thriving labour market, reducing economic inactivity and increasing the number of people in work is central to growing the economy. Fundamental reforms announced in the Get Britain Working white paper will help us achieve the bold, long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate, meaning over two million more people in work and the UK as one of the top performing labour markets in the OECD. Backed by £240m of funding announced in the Budget, the White Paper sets out ambitious reform outlined in three interconnected parts:a new jobs and careers service, bringing Jobcentre Plus together with the National Careers Service in England. This new service will support more people into work and help them get on in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers, and will be kickstarted by an initial £55m of funding for tests and trials next year. It will be open to all, helping the 890,000 people who have left the workforce since the pandemic and the 1.9 million who may wish to join it, back into the labour market.a new Youth Guarantee for all 18-21 year olds in England, to ensure they have an offer of education, training or help to find work. This is backed by £45m in funding for trailblazers across eight mayoral authorities in England starting next year to help bring the 946,000 young people not in education, employment or training back into the workforce.£15m to support the development of local Get Britain Working plans for areas across England. These plans will set out how economic inactivity will be tackled at a local level, led by Mayors and local areas. An additional £125m will fund eight trailblazers across England and Wales to tackle economic inactivity through increased engagement and tailored approaches because we know that one size does not fit all and inactivity rates vary between areas, with the North East at 26.8% and the South West at 17.9%.

What estimate she has made of how many economically inactive people will rejoin the workforce as a result of the measures announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper.

The trend of economic inactivity is a long-term challenge; the UK is the only country in the G7 with an inactivity rate higher than before the pandemic. Building a thriving labour market, reducing economic inactivity and increasing the number of people in work is central to growing the economy. Fundamental reforms announced in the Get Britain Working white paper will help us achieve the bold, long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate, meaning over two million more people in work and the UK as one of the top performing labour markets in the OECD. Backed by £240m of funding announced in the Budget, the White Paper sets out ambitious reform outlined in three interconnected parts:a new jobs and careers service, bringing Jobcentre Plus together with the National Careers Service in England. This new service will support more people into work and help them get on in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers, and will be kickstarted by an initial £55m of funding for tests and trials next year. It will be open to all, helping the 890,000 people who have left the workforce since the pandemic and the 1.9 million who may wish to join it, back into the labour market.a new Youth Guarantee for all 18-21 year olds in England, to ensure they have an offer of education, training or help to find work. This is backed by £45m in funding for trailblazers across eight mayoral authorities in England starting next year to help bring the 946,000 young people not in education, employment or training back into the workforce.£15m to support the development of local Get Britain Working plans for areas across England. These plans will set out how economic inactivity will be tackled at a local level, led by Mayors and local areas. An additional £125m will fund eight trailblazers across England and Wales to tackle economic inactivity through increased engagement and tailored approaches because we know that one size does not fit all and inactivity rates vary between areas, with the North East at 26.8% and the South West at 17.9%.