Written questions by Yasin.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UK–EU social security coordination rules in protecting the pension rights of people who have worked in the UK and Greece.

The UK’s comprehensive social security relationship with the EU Member States, including State Pensions, is governed by the Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. These agreements provide the necessary level of social security protection and continuity of State Pension provision for those moving between the UK and the EU Member States, including Greece.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a bilateral reciprocal social security agreement with Greece.

The UK’s comprehensive social security relationship with the EU Member States, including State Pensions, is governed by the Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. These agreements provide the necessary level of social security protection and continuity of State Pension provision for those moving between the UK and the EU Member States, including Greece.

What the average response time is for correspondence from members of the public and from Members of Parliament acting on behalf of their constituents; what targets are in place for responding to correspondence; and what steps the Department is taking to ensure that enquiries submitted via MPs’ offices are acknowledged and replied to promptly.

MP enquiries continue to be treated as a matter of high priority. There is clear guidance avail-able to all staff regarding the expected timeframe for responding to enquiries from MPs, which is accessible via the Department’s intranet.The Department for Work and Pensions aims to respond to MP enquiries within 15 working days. Where this is not feasible, such as in complex cases, the Department remains committed to providing a response at the earliest opportunity.Higher volumes of MP enquiries combined with a rise in more complex complaints, which take longer to investigate, has caused some delays with our responses. We are in the process of recruiting more complaint handlers to reduce our response times.Data on responses to correspondence from MPs is regularly published and can be found here:Data on responses to correspondence from MPs and peers - GOV.UK

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax on (a) childminders and other home-based childcare providers on the levels of (i) recruitment and (ii) retention in that workforce and (b) on the Government's commitment to fund childcare for 30 hours a week.

We are working with the sector to expand the number of childminders and make it easier for them to operate, including through increased funding rates and new flexibilities to work with more people and spend more time working from non-domestic premises if they want to. We are taking a range of measures to support the financial sustainability of childminding businesses and other early years providers. From April 2026, local authorities will be required to pass at least 97% of their funding directly to providers. We are working with local authorities and others to ensure that childminders and other early years providers can be paid monthly for the funded hours they provide, making their income more stable. In addition, the expansion of the early years entitlements could benefit childminders in different ways: the national average three- and four-year-old hourly funding rate of local authorities is increasing by 4.1%, the two-year-old hourly funding rate is increasing by 3.3%, and the nine months to two-year-old hourly funding rate is increasing by 3.4%. Childminders may also benefit from an expected increase in demand for places. Making Tax Digital standardises the way that sole traders record and claim business expenses. It could benefit childminders as it means that any business expenses related to childminding will be included in their tax calculations. We are however aware of the strength of feeling amongst childminders and those who work with them. We have been talking regularly to Coram Pacey, HMRC and others to understand the issue, the effect that it is having on the childminding sector and to make sure that the concerns of childminders are clearly understood. The department emphasises its strong support for childminders, who continue to provide high quality and flexible early education, and do so in a way that families across the country greatly value.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve the financial situation of mixed-age couples where one partner has reached State Pension age but the other has not; what information his Department holds on the number of households are affected by the Pension Credit rules for mixed-age couples; what steps he is taking to help ensure that households reliant on a single State Pension can access adequate support; and what guidance he has issued to help ensure that claimants are not inaccurately told they are not entitled to state support.

Universal Credit is a working age benefit that helps with living costs. Ensuring that individuals, including those below State Pension age, can get into, progress and stay in work is important for individuals in helping them to continue saving for their own retirement and contribute to the wider economy. Since 15 May 2019, couples requiring additional support from the benefit system have needed to claim Universal Credit until both members reach State Pension age. Once in receipt of Universal Credit, this ensures that the younger partner can access the same employment support that is available for customers below State Pension Age. Published data shows that in December 2025 there were around 69,000 Universal Credit claimants aged over 65. This will include mixed aged couples and also some single claimants who are just about to move off UC as they reached State Pension Age during that assessment period. Information on eligibility requirements for each benefit is published on GOV.UK guidance pages.

What assessment his Department has made of the performance of Capita as administrator of the Civil Service Pension Scheme; what the current size of the casework and payments backlog is; what steps are being taken to address reported delays, errors and problems with the online pension portal; and how Capita is being held to account to ensure pension payments are made accurately and on time.

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 applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,979 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, 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 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

How government departments, regulators and local authorities are coordinating to help tackle the mental health impacts of debt, including monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of initiatives such as Breathing Space.

The Government is committed to supporting people experiencing financial difficulties and help them get their finances back on track. Through the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), which is based in Bedford, we fund a range of national and community-based debt advice services in England, so that people can get the support they need.In recognition of the link between mental health and financial difficulty, the Government’s recently published Financial Inclusion Strategy considered mental health as a core theme across its interventions. The Strategy sets out a package of measures to improve access to financial services, including a dedicated focus on tackling problem debt which can be a particular challenge for those experiencing mental health difficulties. As part of the Strategy, over £100 million has been allocated to MaPS for 2025-26 to expand access to high-quality debt advice, an increase of over 10%.Through the Strategy, the Government also announced that HM Treasury will work with the Department for Communities to explore options for extending the Breathing Space Scheme to Northern Ireland. The Scheme provides a 60-day respite from creditor enforcement action to allow people to engage with debt advice. Eligible debtors who are receiving mental health crisis treatment can also access a Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space (MHCBS) which lasts for the duration of their crisis treatment. The Scheme provides valuable support to individuals in problem debt, and the Government continues to monitor its operation to ensure it remains a useful and effective tool.

What steps she is taking to improve public awareness of and regulate high-cost credit.

Lenders offering high-cost credit are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This oversight ensures that lending practices are fair and that consumers are protected. In 2013 the Government placed a duty on the FCA to implement a price cap for high-cost short-term credit products. The price cap came into force in 2015 and ensures that consumers using these products will never repay more than 100% of the principal in interest, fees, and other charges. Lenders are also required to follow the FCA’s rules on promotions and adverts, where non-compliance could lead to fines. The FCA requires that all adverts and other promotions must be clear, fair, and not misleading. The Government is also taking steps to improve financial literacy and awareness across the population... As part of the Financial Inclusion Strategy, the Government announced plans to make financial education compulsory in primary schools in England through a new statutory requirement to teach citizenship, alongside a renewed emphasis on the subject in secondary schools in the subjects of mathematics and citizenship. These measures aim to equip young people with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate an increasingly complex financial landscape and make informed decisions throughout their lives. More widely, the Financial Inclusion Strategy recognises the useful role of responsible credit in helping households manage their cashflow and meet unexpected costs. The Strategy includes measures to support people’s access to responsible credit, including support for community finance providers, like credit unions.

Whether his Department recognises problem debt as a public health issue; and what support the NHS and social care services provide to people with problem debt.

Research shows that there is a link between health and financial health with a large amount of people who experience mental health problems also struggling with their finances.NHS Talking Therapies has recently collaborated with the Money and Pensions Service to promote the Money Guiders programme that helps equip mental health practitioners to have money conversations with their patients. In addition, each NHS Talking Therapies service has embedded employment advisors who provide a non-clinical support service to help patients using Talking Therapies to address work-related issues, offering practical support and solutions for any work barriers which can include unemployment and returning to work.The Individual Placement and Support is a well‑evidenced, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence‑approved employment programme, funded by NHS England, that offers intensive, individually tailored support to get people into work, with ongoing support for the employer and employee to help ensure the person keeps their job.Individuals may also be able to access the Breathing Space Scheme, which was set up to encourage more people in problem debt to access professional debt advice. A standard breathing space provides a 60-day period of protection by pausing creditor enforcement action and most interest, fees, and charges. Given the link between problem debt and mental health difficulties, the Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space was also established for individuals who are receiving mental health crisis treatment.Where debt is the result of gambling addiction, individuals can access their local National Health Service gambling service via self- or professional referral.

What pilots or trials are being planned to reduce drug-related deaths in areas with the highest rates of overdose.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need for drug prevention, treatment, and recovery in their areas and for commissioning services to best meet local need. This includes work to reduce drug-related deaths.The Department has recently launched the Drug and alcohol-related deaths dashboard, which provides information on the levels of drug and alcohol related mortality and harms, and the evidence-based interventions that local authorities and treatment providers can provide to have a positive impact on reducing deaths. Local authorities have access to this dashboard and can use it to assess need and plan interventions including in areas with higher rates of deaths. We are also improving surveillance of emerging harms and drug use patterns, with quarterly surveillance data now published to support local police and health responses to synthetic opioids.In response to increasing drug related deaths, in 2024 the Department amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to expand access to naloxone. The legislation enabled more services and professionals to supply this medication. The Department has recently launched a 10-week United Kingdom-wide public consultation on further legislative options to expand access to take-home and emergency use naloxone.In response to the sharp rise in deaths involving cocaine, 800 deaths in 2022 to 1,195 deaths in 2024, the Department is investing an additional £200,000 in 2025/26 to develop and trial new brief interventions to target the rise in cocaine and alcohol-related cardiovascular deaths, particularly among men. The pilots will be run in acute hospital alcohol care teams with a view to making them available for use nationally across all healthcare settings in the next financial year.Through the Government's Addiction Healthcare Goals Reducing Drug Deaths Innovation Challenge, twelve projects have received UK and Scottish government funding to develop and test innovative drug overdose detection, response, and rescue technologies and medicines with relevant populations. Future funding and support through the Addiction Healthcare Goals programme are being explored to further enable the advanced development and UK roll-out of novel drug and alcohol addiction technologies to improve healthcare and prevent harms and deaths.

How many people were convicted last year for simple possession of controlled drugs; and how many of those had a recorded drug dependency.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences including drug possession offences in England and Wales within the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.Data held centrally by the Ministry of Justice does not contain details of a recorded drug dependency for offenders who received a conviction.Police have the powers needed to divert individuals who commit low-level drug possession offences away from a criminal charge towards consequences that may include a requirement to attend drug educational courses and support, or treatment where needed, to help people make better, safer choices in the future.Diverting those who use illegal drugs into interventions such as drug treatment services is key to reducing drug misuse, drug related crimes and reoffending. We support the use of Out of Court Resolution (OOCR) powers to ensure that individuals who commit low-level drug possession offences are given the opportunity to change their behaviour by diverting them to meaningful and appropriate interventions.

What plans his Department has to expand access to drug checking services, naloxone, and other overdose prevention measures.

Every drug-related death is a tragedy, and the Government is taking a public health approach to prevent these deaths and reduce harms from drugs.Expanding access to naloxone, a life-saving overdose medication, has never been more important. In addition to the changes made in 2024 to expand access, we recently launched a ten-week United Kingdom-wide public consultation on further legislative options to expand access to take-home and emergency use naloxone.The Government facilitates Drug Checking Facilities provided that the possession and supply of controlled drugs are licensed by the Home Office, or exceptionally, relevant exemptions under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 may apply.  Drug Checking Facilities must not condone drug use and should only be delivered where licensed and operated responsibly in line with Government policy to ensure that they discourage drug use and signpost potential users to treatment and support.

What proportion of police time is spent on possession offences compared with tackling organised drug crime.

The Police Activity Survey (PAS) provides an estimate of how much police time is spent on various policing activities. The PAS was conducted over a 7-day period in February 2023, with 35 out of the 43 police forces in England and Wales participating.The results show that over this period, responding to specific crime incident activity accounts for 34.9% of all recorded police time. Of the time spent on specific crime incident activity, 3.1% was spent on possession of drug crime incidents, 2.7% on possession of weapons incidents and 5.6% on trafficking of drug incidents.The PAS does not capture whether or not the offences were organised crime related. Therefore, no specific data is available on the proportion of time spent on tackling organised drug crime.

What recent discussions she has had with the Home Office on enforcement of offences relating to pavement cycling and powered scooter use.

The Secretary of State has had no recent discussions with the Home Office on these matters. Officials are however in regular contact with the Home Office concerning e-scooters.

What guidance the Department has issued to local authorities and police forces on the enforcement of offences relating to cycling on pavements and riding powered scooters in pedestrianised areas.

No such guidance has been issued by the Department. The enforcement of criminal offences is entirely a matter for the police.

Whether the Department plans to improve guidance to schools on teaching road safety and safe cycling within PSHE or related curricula.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Bedford to the answer of 14 October 2025 to Question 77400.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the humanitarian situation in northern Ethiopia, including the Tigray region; what estimate she has made of the number of internally displaced persons and other vulnerable populations currently experiencing acute food insecurity; what steps her Department is taking to provide emergency food, nutrition, and medical assistance; and what steps she is taking to coordinate UK support with the World Food Programme, other UN agencies, and international partners to alleviate hunger in the region.

The ongoing conflict in Amhara has led to significant humanitarian needs, and widespread conflict-related human rights violations and abuses. In Tigray, there are an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs).UK Official Development Assistance to Ethiopia in 2025/26 is £172.7 million, of which £95.5 million has been used to provide lifesaving humanitarian aid, focused on emergency health, nutrition, and social protection implemented by a combination of UN agencies, non-governmental organisations, and the Red Cross.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the government’s proposed Earned Settlement reforms on disabled partner visa applicants and primary carers, including the proposed personal earnings requirement; what steps her Department is taking to ensure that such reforms do not indirectly discriminate against those with protected characteristics; and what transitional arrangements will apply to families already on the partner route to prevent retrospective disadvantage.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, announced changes to the mandatory requirements and qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. It is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.The consultation seeks views on the impact proposed changes might have on different groups, including disabled people and carers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation.The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of employers not providing the work guaranteed under a visa sponsorship agreement on migrant care workers; what steps her Department is taking to ensure that such workers are not disadvantaged as a result of sponsor non-compliance; and how any changes to settlement requirements, including the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain, will take account of individuals who have been unable to work or accrue National Insurance contributions due to circumstances beyond their control.

This Government is acutely aware of the levels of sponsor non-compliance in the care sector and this includes failing to provide adequate paid work. In response, we have revoked the licenses of more than 1000 care providers who are now no longer able to sponsor migrant workers. The Home Office continues to work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funded Regional Partnerships to support care workers, who have been impacted by exploitative employers. DHSC are funding 15 regional hubs in England, made up of Local Authorities and Directors of Adult Social Services, working together to support displaced workers into new roles within the care sector. These regional hubs have received £12.5 million this financial year to support them to prevent and respond to unethical practices in the sector. The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, announced changes to the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. It also set out mandatory requirements for settlement, including a minimum level of National Insurance contributions. A public consultation was launched on 20 November 2025 and is open until 12 February 2026. The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

Pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2025 to Question 96726, whether his Department has carried out a formal impact assessment of recent changes to the Motability scheme on disabled people’s access to suitable vehicles; what information his Department holds on the estimated savings from changes to that scheme; what criteria he used to determine which vehicles were removed; and which Ministers in his Department approved those changes.

The Motability Scheme is a lifeline for many disabled people and families, supporting their independence by enabling them to lease a car, wheelchair accessible vehicle, scooter or powered wheelchair in exchange for an eligible disability benefit allowance. The package of reforms to the Motability Scheme announced as part of the Budget will ensure the Scheme delivers fairness for the taxpayer, while continuing to support disabled people.  The Scheme will continue to offer a choice of affordable vehicles to meet a range of accessibility needs and offer vehicles which require no advance payment, meaning that people will be able to access a suitable vehicle using only their qualifying disability benefit. Decisions on tax were made in the usual way by HM Treasury ministers, in close consultation with DWP Ministers and based on extensive advice with due consideration of equalities impacts. An Equality Impact Assessment was undertaken including estimated costs savings and it was published by HMT as part of the Autumn Budget. It can be found here: Motability Scheme: reforming tax reliefs - GOV.UK.