Every parliamentary written question tabled by Neil Duncan-Jordan this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 781–800 of 1,111 · this parliament
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Pathways to Work Green Paper on the finances of disabled people.
Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course. The proposals have been carefully designed to protect the finances of severely disabled people. A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, on reducing health inequalities.
Good quality employment is an important determinant of health. The Marmot Review in 2010 concluded that to reduce health inequalities and improve the health of the nation we needed action on 6 policy objectives. One of those was the creation of fair employment and good work for us all. Unemployment is associated with an increased risk of mortality, long-term illness, cardiovascular disease, poor mental health, suicide, and health-harming behaviours. Our current health and disability benefits system does not encourage and enable disabled people and people with health conditions to engage with the labour market or thrive in employment. Without change, this will harm people’s living standards, wellbeing and life chances, as well as harming our economy, including by restricting our ability to reach the goal of an 80% employment rate.
With reference to her Department's green paper Pathways to work: reforming benefits and support to get Britain working, published on 18 March 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of her policy proposals on the social determinants of ill health.
Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, with some information published alongside the Spring Statement. A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a Work Transition Guarantee to help ensure disabled people keep their benefits for a period after they move into work.
Building on the support Universal Credit provides disabled people, our Pathways to Work Green Paper launched a consultation on creating a route into work consistent with health conditions or disability, with UC supplementing income. Communication around this will emphasise that engaging with work won’t trigger a reassessment, and that existing linking rules mean if a job ends the previous benefit rate remains.
What estimate her Department has made of the number of new Personal Independence Payment claimants who will not achieve a minimum of four points in at least one activity to qualify for the daily living element after November 2026.
The information is intended for publication alongside the Spring Statement.
With reference to her Department's green paper Pathways to work: reforming benefits and support to get Britain working, published on 18 March 2025, what sanctions will be introduced for disabled people who decline to engage in the proposed support conversation.
The support conversation will enable individuals to set out their aspirations, needs and goals, so that they can better understand what early support might be available to them and be signposted towards it. Given the importance of the support conversation to ensuring individuals understand the help available to them, we are considering making participation a requirement (with exemptions) but we are consulting on how we should design and deliver it so that it is welcomed by individuals and is effective and, if mandated, who should be exempted.
What assessment she has made of the cost to the public purse of providing (a) back to work support for disabled people, (b) ongoing in-work support for those disabled people once in employment and (c) incentives to employers to hire disabled people who have been out of work for more than one year.
As part of the plans set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper we will be investing significant additional funding in employment support, rising to £1bn a year by 2029/30. To maximise its impact we need the input of stakeholders and disabled people themselves and we will use a ‘collaboration committee’ to develop our thinking further.
If she will make it her policy to fund (a) existing or (b) new programmes of support and training for people seeking employment from money raised from delaying the access to the health element of Universal Credit until someone is aged 22.
The Pathways to Work Green Paper is an important staging post on a journey of reform. It sets out our vision, strategy and proposals for change. Before any decisions are made, we are consulting on the design options for a work, health and skills support package. We are specifically seeking input on the proposal to raise the age of eligibility for the health element of the Universal Credit (UC) award to 22. The government will actively engage with a diverse range of stakeholders, including young people with health conditions and disabilities. As we set out at point 256 in the Pathways to Work Green Paper: “Delaying access to the UC health element would remove any potential disincentive to work during this time. Proceeding with this change would be on the basis that resources could be better spent on improving the quality and range of opportunities available to young people through the [Youth] guarantee, so they can sign up to work or training rather than long-term benefits.” Such a change could support the establishment of a distinct and active transition phase for young people, based on learning or earning for all.
If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the report by Young Lives vs Cancer entitled Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund, published in February 2024.
The Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce will explore a range of issues, including patient experience alongside clinical care, to identify improvements for children and young people with cancer and their families. Young Lives vs Cancer is a valued stakeholder with a unique perspective on the issue of travel support for children and young people with cancer. We will continue to engage with Young Lives vs Cancer, as well as other children and young people cancer charity stakeholders as we progress this important work.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of losing eligibility for Personal Independence Payment on the financial security of disabled people.
We will be publishing estimated impacts on claimants for the changes announced on 18 March 2025 on the day of the Spring Statement or shortly after.PIP is an important benefit to help contribute to the extra living costs of a disability or heath condition. We are clear it should neither be means-tested nor taxed. However, support needs to be more targeted to protect this safety net for future generations.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity group on disabled people in residential care.
We will be publishing estimated impacts on claimants for the changes announced on 18 March 2025 on the day of the Spring Statement or shortly after.
What steps she is taking through the child poverty strategy to ensure child poverty is lower in 2029 than 2024.
Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government and the Ministerial Taskforce is considering all children across the United Kingdom in developing a Child Poverty Strategy. The causes of child poverty are deep-rooted and complex, and the Taskforce is exploring all available levers to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty. The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments. We have already taken steps to support families by tripling investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, introducing a Fair Repayment Rate for deductions from Universal Credit, and increasing the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour from April to boost the pay of three million workers. To further support struggling households, funding of £742 million will be provided to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 in England, plus additional funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion.
What steps she plans to take to increase funding for the early years childcare sector.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has been clear in her commitment to early years. Despite tough decisions to get our public finances back on track, this government has increased investment in the early years sector to drive forward progress towards our plan for change target of a record number of children starting school ready to learn.In the 2025/26 financial year alone, this government plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements. We have also announced the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, raising it to the equivalent of up to £570 per eligible child per year.On top of this we are providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the early years expansion grant to support the sector to provide the additional places and workforce needed by September 2025.We are also providing £25 million through the forthcoming Employer National Insurance Contributions Grant for public sector employers in the early years.Future spending decisions beyond the 2025/26 financial year will be announced at the next spending review.
What steps she plans to take to ensure that all families have access to (a) affordable and (b) quality childcare.
As part of our Plan for Change, this government is committed to giving every child the best start in life. The department has set a milestone of a record proportion – 75% – of children to be starting school ready to learn. We will measure our progress through the percentage of children reaching a good level of development in the early years foundation stage profile assessment by 2028.To help deliver this ambition, from the start of September 2024, eligible working parents have been entitled to 15 hours a week of early education and care from the term after their child turns nine months old. The department is expanding the childcare entitlements so that, from September 2025, eligible working parents can access 30 hours of early education and childcare a week.Parents may also be eligible for childcare support through Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit childcare.Next year alone, the department plans to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements, which represents a more than 30% increase compared to the 2024/25 financial year.The early years pupil premium rate has increased by over 45% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year. We are also providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the early years expansion grant and £25 million through the forthcoming National Insurance contributions grant for public sector employers in early years.The government is also rolling out plans for the first phase of school based nurseries, ensuring families across the country have access to high quality childcare and early education. The first wave of up to 300 schools to be allocated nursery funding will be announced in spring.As we grow the childcare system, it must remain fair and accessible to all parents. The department has taken action to protect parents from reported instances of very high additional charges or ‘top-up fees’ on top of their entitlement, ensuring the funded hours remain accessible and affordable for families.The department is determined to create change in the approach to early years, focusing on high quality early education, celebrating and supporting early years careers, and embedding the sector into the wider education system. We are delivering programmes to support the sector to attract talented staff and childminders by creating conditions for improved recruitment, alongside programmes to better utilise the skills of the existing workforce.
What steps she plans to take to ensure that childcare is affordable for working parents.
As part of our Plan for Change, this government is committed to giving every child the best start in life. The department has set a milestone of a record proportion – 75% – of children to be starting school ready to learn. We will measure our progress through the percentage of children reaching a good level of development in the early years foundation stage profile assessment by 2028.To help deliver this ambition, from the start of September 2024, eligible working parents have been entitled to 15 hours a week of early education and care from the term after their child turns nine months old. The department is expanding the childcare entitlements so that, from September 2025, eligible working parents can access 30 hours of early education and childcare a week.Parents may also be eligible for childcare support through Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit childcare.Next year alone, the department plans to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements, which represents a more than 30% increase compared to the 2024/25 financial year.The early years pupil premium rate has increased by over 45% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year. We are also providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the early years expansion grant and £25 million through the forthcoming National Insurance contributions grant for public sector employers in early years.The government is also rolling out plans for the first phase of school based nurseries, ensuring families across the country have access to high quality childcare and early education. The first wave of up to 300 schools to be allocated nursery funding will be announced in spring.As we grow the childcare system, it must remain fair and accessible to all parents. The department has taken action to protect parents from reported instances of very high additional charges or ‘top-up fees’ on top of their entitlement, ensuring the funded hours remain accessible and affordable for families.The department is determined to create change in the approach to early years, focusing on high quality early education, celebrating and supporting early years careers, and embedding the sector into the wider education system. We are delivering programmes to support the sector to attract talented staff and childminders by creating conditions for improved recruitment, alongside programmes to better utilise the skills of the existing workforce.
If she will consider a three year funding settlement for the Music Hub programme.
Multi-year programme budgets will be considered as part of the spending review and subsequent business planning process.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of reclassifying weapons as ethical investments for pension funds.
Trustees and fund managers are responsible for making investment decisions in line with their fiduciary duty and member preferences. In a time of increasing geopolitical instability, maintaining a robust and thriving defence sector is essential to our national security. The Government has therefore been clear that supporting our defence industry is entirely consistent with ethical investing. The Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent, published in December 2024, recognised issues with regards to access to finance for the defence industry. The Government has consulted with a wide range of stakeholders, including defence suppliers and financial institutions, to assess the ways in which we can reduce these barriers and create a strong and resilient defence sector.
Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Child Poverty Taskforce on (a) furnished tenancies and (b) the potential impact of the Decent Homes Standard on levels of furniture poverty.
The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors. The Deputy Prime Minister is part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is aiming to publish a Child Poverty Strategy in Spring 2025. As part of the development of the strategy, the Taskforce is considering the impacts of living in poor quality housing. People in need may be able to get help for essential furniture from their local council through the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to halve the number of non-decent (a) social and (b) private rented homes by 2030.
The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors. The Deputy Prime Minister is part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is aiming to publish a Child Poverty Strategy in Spring 2025. As part of the development of the strategy, the Taskforce is considering the impacts of living in poor quality housing. People in need may be able to get help for essential furniture from their local council through the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Animal Welfare Committee Opinions on specialised dog reproductive practices and cat breeding practices, published on 19 December 2024, whether his Department is planning to take steps to tackle the health and welfare issues caused by the breeding for extreme conformations of (a) dogs and (b) cats.
The Government welcomes the Animal Welfare Committee’s Opinions on the welfare implications of specialised canine reproductive practices and on the welfare implications of current and emergent feline breeding practices. We are carefully considering the Committee’s recommendations in both Opinions.