Written questions by Cadbury.

What steps his Department is taking to support hospitality businesses with the cost of hiring additional staff.

The Government recognises the pressures facing the hospitality sector and that’s why we have introduced targeted support measures to help ease these pressures.We have protected the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to employer NICs by more than doubling the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. That means more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities have either gained or have seen no change this tax year.Businesses are also able to claim employer NICs reliefs including those for under-21s and under-25 apprentices. Employers do not pay employer NICs on earnings up to £50,270 for employees under 21, or for apprentices under the age of 25.

With reference to the report entitled Walking and Cycling Index: UK, published by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust on 17 March 2026, what steps she is taking to support councils to lower speed limits.

Local authorities are responsible for managing the roads under their jurisdiction, drawing on their knowledge of local conditions and the needs of their communities. This includes the power to set local speed limits. Authorities may introduce 20mph limits in areas where people and traffic mix, such as outside schools, and they may also apply enforceable part‑time 20mph limits during specific periods, including school drop‑off and pick‑up times. Authorities will have our full backing when implementing measures that respond to the concerns of local people. As set out in the Road Safety Strategy the Government will be reviewing and updating its guidance, including ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’ and the ‘guidance on the use of speed and red‑light cameras’, to further support local authorities in making well‑informed decisions about managing speed on their networks.

With reference to the report entitled Walking and Cycling Index: UK, published by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust on 17 March 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential economic benefits of increased investment in walking, wheeling and cycling facilities; and if she will make a statement.

Active Travel England published research on the benefits of active travel investment in February this year. This research can be viewed at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluating-the-impact-of-active-travel-investment.

When his department plans to answer the named day written questions, A.) UIN 109563, B.) UIN 109560 C.) UIN 109563 tabled in my name on the 29th January.

A response has been issued here and here.

What steps her Department is taking to provide financial support to house boat dwellers impacted by the cost of red diesel fuel.

Certain uses, such as non-propulsion use by private pleasure craft, retained the entitlement access to use red diesel after it was withdrawn from most sectors in 2022. In contrast to full duty diesel, taxed at 52.95 pence per litre (ppl), red diesel currently incurs a duty of 10.18 pence per litre. At Budget 2025, the Government extended the temporary 5p fuel duty cut alongside extending the proportionate percentage cut for rebated fuels, which includes red diesel. This maintains the red diesel rate at the levels set in March 2022 at 10.18 peppl until the end of August 2026, with rates then gradually returning to March 2022 levels by March 2027, an increase of less than 1 ppl. The planned inflation increase for 2026-27 has also been cancelled. As the Chancellor has set out, the Government will keep fuel duty under review.

What assessment her Department has made of the financial impact of maternity leave on the (a) amount of additional debt accrued on and (b) length of time to repay the debt for student finance loans.

The department and the Student Loan Company do not hold information on the amount of additional money accrued by women while on maternity leave.Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold. Borrowers earning under the repayment threshold, including while on statutory maternity leave, are not required to make repayments, however, interest will continue to accrue. When borrowers are on maternity leave, and earnings are below the earnings threshold, interest, across both plan 2 and plan 5, is applied at the Retail Price Index only.Any outstanding loan, including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze announced at the 2025 Budget.

What data the Student Loans Company holds on the amount of additional money accrued by women while on maternity leave.

The department and the Student Loan Company do not hold information on the amount of additional money accrued by women while on maternity leave.Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold. Borrowers earning under the repayment threshold, including while on statutory maternity leave, are not required to make repayments, however, interest will continue to accrue. When borrowers are on maternity leave, and earnings are below the earnings threshold, interest, across both plan 2 and plan 5, is applied at the Retail Price Index only.Any outstanding loan, including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze announced at the 2025 Budget.

When her Department plans to publish their response to the Extending the Right to Work Scheme consultation.

The Government intends to publish the response to the 'Consultation on the prevention of illegal working: Extending the Right to Work Scheme to other working arrangements' alongside updated guidance and statutory codes of practice in June. Officials will continue to discuss the responses and the updated guidance with stakeholders in advance of June to support business preparations.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the average waiting for the Building Safety Regulator to approve the remediation of residential flats in London.

The monthly Building Control Approval Application dataset January 2026 showed that the average approval timeframe for remediation projects in London was 30 weeks.We recognise that processing times need to improve, and we will be bringing forward a Building Safety Regulator remediation improvement plan in the coming weeks detailing how we intend to work with the sector to achieve improvements.

What the current average processing time is for Mandatory Reconsiderations for (a) Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children and (b) other disability‑related benefits.

Disability Living AllowanceFrom April 2025 to January 2026, the average actual clearance time for Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) for Disability Living Allowance for children was 121.7 working days.We have approved overtime and reallocated decision makers to clear our outstanding Disability Living Allowance Child MR cases more quickly. This will help us to reduce our clearance times. Attendance AllowanceFrom April 2025 to January 2026, the average actual clearance time for Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) for Attendance Allowance was 29.4 working days. Personal Independence Payment PIP MR clearance times are published at Personal Independence Payment statistics - GOV.UK. They can be found by accessing the latest release and opening the excel tables. Tables 4A – 4Biii contain information on PIP MR median clearance times. Employment and Support AllowanceESA Work Capability Assessment MR clearance times are available on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. They can be found by going through “ESA Work Capability Assessments”, “Mandatory Reconsideration – Clearances” “Table 4 – Median Clearance Times by Date of Decision”.

Whether he is taking steps to help decrease the amount of time to assess Mandatory Reconsiderations for Disability Living Allowance for children.

Disability Living AllowanceFrom April 2025 to January 2026, the average actual clearance time for Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) for Disability Living Allowance for children was 121.7 working days.We have approved overtime and reallocated decision makers to clear our outstanding Disability Living Allowance Child MR cases more quickly. This will help us to reduce our clearance times. Attendance AllowanceFrom April 2025 to January 2026, the average actual clearance time for Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) for Attendance Allowance was 29.4 working days. Personal Independence Payment PIP MR clearance times are published at Personal Independence Payment statistics - GOV.UK. They can be found by accessing the latest release and opening the excel tables. Tables 4A – 4Biii contain information on PIP MR median clearance times. Employment and Support AllowanceESA Work Capability Assessment MR clearance times are available on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. They can be found by going through “ESA Work Capability Assessments”, “Mandatory Reconsideration – Clearances” “Table 4 – Median Clearance Times by Date of Decision”.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is taking steps to increase staffing capacity at the Building Safety Regulator.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has conducted a recent recruitment campaign to scale up its regulatory capacity.

What steps he is taking to improve the a) diagnosis and b) treatment of Brain tumours among young adults in West London.

The Department recognises that there are currently limited treatment options available for people who have been diagnosed with brain tumours.The National Cancer Plan, published on 4 February 2026, complements the 10-Year Health Plan and sets out how the National Health Service will improve outcomes for all cancer patients in England including those with brain tumours.The plan included a commitment to reduce the number of rare cancers, including brain tumours, being diagnosed in emergency settings. Brain cancers cannot be staged like other cancers and are subsequently not included in current early diagnosis measures. The NHS in England will improve on this system by regularly publishing early diagnosis data for brain tumours, incentivising systems to focus on these cancers.Patients with rare cancers will also benefit from a move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams, that cover multiple providers. This will allow them to benefit from the input of specialist centres and so access to the best evidence-based care.In January 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) announced increased investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children, and their families, who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer.Since the launch of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce on 4 February 2025, the taskforce has been exploring opportunities for clinical and non-clinical improvement across a range of areas. These include data, early detection and diagnosis, patient experience, genomic testing and treatment, and research and innovation, which includes access to clinical trials. Recommendations from the taskforce were included in the National Cancer Plan.

If his Department will continue to respond to constituency casework inquires from hon. Members in writing.

Where a complaint is raised by an MP, it is referred to the DWP Complaints Team who will investigate the complaint and aim to resolve it within 15 working days. If the matter is complex and will take longer than 15 days, the complaints resolution manager will keep the MP updated and tell them when they can expect a response. Upon completion of the investigation, a full written response will be issued to the MP via their designated Parliament.uk secure email address. In terms of dealing with matters quickly, it may be possible with MP agreement to do a telephone resolution and this can be followed up with a written response if requested.

Whether she plans he has to introduce legislation to block third parties from booking driving tests.

The Secretary of State for Transport announced on 12 November 2025 significant changes to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) driving test booking system following a public consultation. These changes are being introduced incrementally during the Spring.DVSA announced on 3 February that the first change, which will limit the number of times a test can be moved or swapped, will be introduced on 31 March. Further changes will be brought in later in the Spring. This will include allowing only the learner driver to book a test, at which point approved driving instructors and businesses will no longer have access to the booking system.These changes are designed to prevent learner drivers being exploited by people who book up tests and sell them at inflated prices. A full impact assessment of the proposed measures has been carried out and reviewed by the Better Regulation Unit. This assessment will be published once the statutory instrument amending the legislation has been laid before Parliament.

How many qualified driving test examiners were available to carry out tests in (a) September, (b) October, (c) November and (d) December 2025.

The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency were available to carry out practical car driving tests in September, October, November and December 2025. MonthNo of FTE DEs available to carry out practical driving testsSeptember 20251,464October 20251,485November 20251,539December 20251,542

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Israeli counterpart on the future of the Ibrahimi Mosque.

The UK strongly condemns the Israeli Security Cabinet's decision of 8 February to expand Israeli control over the West Bank. The major changes to land, enforcement, and administrative powers proposed in the West Bank will harm efforts to advance peace and stability. The UK recognises the significance of the Ibrahimi Mosque/Cave of the Patriarchs for the faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It is important that Israel respects the arrangements regarding the holy sites in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and avoids taking actions contrary to those arrangements, or the wider interests of peace and stability. We call on Israel to reverse these decisions immediately.

With reference to the evidence given by Paymaster General at the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee session on 28 January 2026, whether there is any provision in the contract awarded to Capita to administer the civil service pension scheme to allow the recoup of costs from that company for (a) loans and (b) compensation paid to individuals impacted by the delays to that 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. 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.It should be noted that these loans are provided by the employer and not the Cabinet Office. There is no provision in the contract for cost recovery from Capita as the loan will be fully repaid directly by the member on receipt of their pension payment.Interest will be paid on delayed benefits to avoid financial loss by members. In addition, the existing statutory complaints process evaluates claims for financial losses, as well as distress and inconvenience caused, on a case-by-case basis to determine whether compensation is due. This ensures that any retiree who provides evidence of extra costs, such as bank penalties or interest charges caused by the delay, is fairly assessed. This process is run in accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.Whilst there is no contractual mechanism to specifically recover compensation costs under consideration, there are significant and robust contractual performance indicators built into the contract and these include financial penalties for underperformance.Furthermore, Capita remains subject to all SLAs within the contract. We are applying the full mechanism of service credits for performance failures, and we continue to explore all commercial avenues to hold them to account for the quality of their delivery.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 many driving tests were carried out in (a) September, (b) October, (c) November and (d) December 2025.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) publishes data on the number of practical driving tests conducted by month on GOV.UK. This data is updated monthly and currently shows data to December 2025. The table below shows the number of practical driving tests conducted for September, October, November and December. MonthTests ConductedSep-25168,644Oct-25182,414Nov-25173,835Dec-25158,720

How many Civil Service Pension Scheme payments to beavered spouses are outstanding.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The Civil Service Pension Scheme transferred to Capita on 1 December 2025 and is experiencing significant performance issues in delivering services to members.The delays facing some civil servants and pension scheme members in accessing their pensions is unacceptable.There are currently 6,300 open bereavement-related cases, with approximately 75% of cases inherited from the previous administrator. About 300 cases are death in service and are being treated as the highest priority. Many of these cases require the calculation and implementation of payments to surviving spouses or partners.We are implementing a clear recovery plan with Capita, covering all aspects of the pension administration service. A specialist task force has been deployed with a commitment to restore all bereavement services and death in service by the end of February.