Written questions by Davies.

Whether his Department plans to (a) reform the National Careers Service and (b) review careers advice contracts.

We are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers. In England, these reforms will include bringing together Jobcentre Plus with the National Careers Service to create a greater awareness and focus on skills and careers as well as better join-up between employability and careers provision. The current National Careers Service contracts are due to expire on 30 September 2026. Therefore, a decision was required on how to deliver adult careers advice from that point. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has taken the decision to bring adult careers advice in-house into DWP from 1 October 2026. This means that National Careers Service contractors will no longer deliver this service after that date. This change is designed to ensure maximum flexibility in developing an integrated employment support and careers advice service. It will enable the service to respond more effectively to customer needs, identify and embed improved operational practices, and bring together employment and careers advice to meet the ambitions of the Get Britain Working White Paper

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps (a) she and (b) her officials are taking to reduce fraud in the (i) Packaging Recovery Note and (ii) Packaging Export Recovery Note systems.

Defra has already introduced a number of measures in the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging. All reprocessors and exporters who handle any packaging waste will now have to register, and to collect and report data on packaging waste received, processed, rejected, and exported. The Regulations will also place additional requirements on accredited reprocessors and exporters, including monthly reporting of packaging waste reprocessed or exported, and monthly data on PRN/PERN prices by material. Exporters will also need to provide proof of receipt at the final overseas destination site to issue a PERN and retain records of recycling of the packaging waste. There will also be a new “Fit and Proper Person” test for operators as part of the accreditation process.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) maintain and (b) promote a plastic recycling industry.

Defra’s Collection and Packaging reforms – Simpler Recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) and a Deposit Return Scheme - will provide feedstock certainty whilst also stimulating private investment in the recycling industry. Defra is working with His Majesty’s Treasury on Plastic Packaging Tax reform, to further incentivise producers to use recycled plastic, stimulating demand.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 26719 on Broadband: Telford, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) expand consumer choice and (b) reduce the cost of 5G services in Telford.

The Government has created a pro-competition regulatory framework that has allowed more than a hundred alternative networks to enter the fixed broadband market since 2018. This has led to the fast roll-out of fibre across the UK and more choice for consumers. We continue to support a pro-competition environment for the sector, as set out in our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services, published in July.The mobile market is highly competitive with three wholesale providers and over 100 retail providers. The Government has no role in setting prices in the mobile market. The average cost per gigabit of data in the UK decreased 8% in real terms between 2023 and 2024.

What steps he is taking to ensure the compatibility of the Pathways to Work green paper with the UK's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

We take our international obligations including those under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) very seriously. The measures announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, and those implemented in the Universal Credit Act, are in accordance with this Government’s commitment to help disabled people fulfil their potential. We remain committed to constructive engagement with disabled people and broader stakeholders as part of our efforts to develop and implement reforms that support disabled people. This is evidenced with the launch of collaboration committees which bring together groups of disabled people and other experts for specific work areas to collaborate and provide discussion, challenge, and recommendations. The Disability Advisory Panel is being established to convene and connect the expertise of deaf and disabled people and people with long-term health conditions into our policy and strategy design and delivery. This will be chaired by Disability rights expert and consultant Zara Todd, taking a guiding role in the development and focus of the panel. We are also engaging with disabled people and their representatives as part of the Timms Review, which aims to ensure we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence. We have committed to co-producing the Review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them and other stakeholders.

How many cases are currently being processed under the Eastwood Park Compensation Scheme; and what the average waiting time is for cases under the scheme.

The Eastwood Park Detention Centre Settlement Scheme commenced on 14 January 2025. To date, 659 claims have been received including 264 claims settled with damages paid. There are 6 further claims where settlement has been agreed, and payments will be made shortly.Of the 264 claims settled to date, the average payment is £3,114.Since the commencement of the scheme in January, the average length of time taken to settle claims is 136 days (at 30 September 2025). This figure should not be taken as a benchmark expectation for any outstanding or future claims. The amount of time taken to settle a claim will vary in each case based on a variety of factors such as incomplete information provided when the claim is lodged. All claims are subject to appropriate scrutiny and HM Treasury approval.The Prison Service successfully defends two-thirds of cases brought by prisoners. Any debts owed by offenders to their victims and the courts are deducted before a payment is made.

What proportion of claims under the Eastwood Park Compensation Scheme have resulted in payouts; and what the average amount paid out for those claims is.

The Eastwood Park Detention Centre Settlement Scheme commenced on 14 January 2025. To date, 659 claims have been received including 264 claims settled with damages paid. There are 6 further claims where settlement has been agreed, and payments will be made shortly.Of the 264 claims settled to date, the average payment is £3,114.Since the commencement of the scheme in January, the average length of time taken to settle claims is 136 days (at 30 September 2025). This figure should not be taken as a benchmark expectation for any outstanding or future claims. The amount of time taken to settle a claim will vary in each case based on a variety of factors such as incomplete information provided when the claim is lodged. All claims are subject to appropriate scrutiny and HM Treasury approval.The Prison Service successfully defends two-thirds of cases brought by prisoners. Any debts owed by offenders to their victims and the courts are deducted before a payment is made.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the (a) underpayment and (b) overpayment of Carer's Allowance.

Carer’s Allowance is a single rate benefit which is either fully awarded to those who meet the qualifying conditions or disallowed. Those who also receive an “overlapping benefit”, such as a State Pension, will have any award of Carer’s Allowance adjusted accordingly. We commissioned an Independent Review of Carer’s Allowance earnings-related overpayments to see what happened and what changes can be made. The Review and our response to it will be published in due course.

What proportion of Carer's Allowance claimants received an (a) underpayment and (b) overpayment of their Allowance in each of the last three years.

The Department published estimates of the proportion of Carer’s Allowance claims overpaid and the proportion of Carer’s Allowance claims underpaid for the financial year 2024-2025, in its annual national statistics: Fraud and error in the benefit system, Financial Year Ending (FYE) 2025 - GOV.UK. However, Carer’s Allowance was not measured for the National Statistics publication in 2022/23 or 2023/24 and so that information is not available.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of calculating Carer's Allowance eligibility over longer periods to help reduce the rate of overpayments and underpayments.

Carer’s Allowance is assessed on a weekly basis and paid either weekly or 4 weekly. Payment of Carer’s Allowance (CA) is dependent upon the person being cared for receiving a “trigger” DWP benefit, such as Disability Living Allowance, Personal independence Payment or Attendance Allowance, where entitlement is also assessed on a weekly basis. Where someone has fluctuating earnings, we try and find the most suitable period to average those earnings over to obtain the most accurate figure. Liz Sayce OBE was commissioned to lead an Independent Review into overpayments of CA. The Government is carefully considering the recommendations of this Review which investigated how overpayments of CA related to earnings occurred, how we can best support those who have accrued them, and how to reduce the risk of these problems occurring in future. We have already taken steps to improve the way CA operates and to support those who can combine their caring responsibilities with some paid work, including changing the weekly CA earnings limit to match 16 hours work at National Living Wage levels. This is the largest ever increase in the earnings limit since CA was introduced in 1976 and the highest percentage increase since 2001. Over 60,000 additional people will be able to receive CA between 2025/26 and 2029/30 as a result from investment worth around £500 million. As with all benefits we keep Carer’s Allowance under review to see whether it is meeting its objectives.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of a reduction in the number of civilian staff on (a) police forces and (b) warranted police officers.

The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. An effective, well-supported police service is central to achieving this.Police staff, alongside warranted officers, play a vital role in delivering an effective police service to communities across England and Wales. As at 31 March 2025, there were 81,996 full-time equivalent (FTE) police staff and designated officers employed by the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales. This was an increase of 1,080 (FTE) compared with 31 March 2024.We are committed to giving forces the resources they need to keep the public safe. The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.6 billion, an increase of up to £1.2 billion compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement – a significant increase, and more than the increase last year. This equates to a 7.1% cash increase, and 4.6% real terms increase in funding.It is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience. This includes how best to allocate the resources at their disposal to provide an effective service to local communities.

If he will publish (a) the guidance (i) his Department and (ii) NHS England are providing to Trusts within (A) Category 3 and (B) Category 4 of the league tables of NHS trusts in England, published on 9 September 2025 and (b) the timetable for performance improvement.

The league table ‘segments’, or performance categories, published on 9 September 2025 are based on National Health Service trusts’ performance against the metrics and methodology in the NHS Oversight Framework 2025/26. NHS England published this framework on their website on 26 June 2025, and it is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-oversight-framework-2025-26/NHS England uses the segmentation scores, alongside wider information, to inform oversight and improvement activities. Trusts in segments 3 and 4 will receive targeted support to address their most challenged performance areas, which may include, for example, urgent and emergency care, outpatients, mental health, finance, or maternity.NHS providers who have low performance, and which are therefore in segment 4, and low capability will be escalated to segment 5, where they will receive the most intensive support through the Recovery Support Programme (RSP). The RSP will soon be replaced by the National Provider Improvement Programme, focusing on determining whether the most challenged have the necessary conditions in place to deliver sustainable improvement and ensuring support is in place as needed.There is no national improvement timetable. Improvement plans will be different from trust to trust depending on their particular challenges and local circumstances.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending capitalisation flexibilities to police forces.

Police and Crime Commissioners already fall under the definition of local authorities in the relevant parts of the Local Government Act 2003, under which the Secretary of State may grant capitalisation flexibilities to local authorities.

What the average yearly earnings of women in the UK were broken down by income decile in each of the last three years.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 8th September is attached.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 45986 on Events Industry, what plans her Department has to change the (a) number and (b) grade of civil servants working on supporting the business events sector.

The Government recognises the significant contribution that business events make to the UK economy, supporting jobs, driving regional growth, and showcasing the UK’s strengths on the global stage. Officials in DCMS continue to engage regularly with industry stakeholders to ensure that government policy reflects the needs of the sector.The Department keeps its resourcing under review to ensure it can deliver against its priorities effectively, but there are no current plans to change the number or grade of civil servants specifically allocated to supporting the business events sector.

How many lower-layer super output areas are within Telford constituency; how those areas are ranked by top (a) 1%, (b) 5% and (c) 10% in the index of multiple deprivation; and what impact that data has on the allocation of funding by her Department.

Data for the index for multiple deprivation at lower level super output area can be accessed from the Parliament website at https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/constituency-data-indices-of-deprivation/. In England, the Household Support Fund (HSF) is a DWP funded scheme for Local Authorities (LAs) to provide discretionary support to vulnerable households in the most need. The distribution of the funding is targeted at the areas of the country with the most vulnerable households, on the basis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) local population estimates and Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) scores. Allocation amounts for upper tier Local Authorities in England are therefore reflective of population size and relative deprivation. Eligibility for benefits administered by the department, and the relevant support that it provides through the Jobs and Careers Service and any contracted provision, is typically determined by the individual benefit rules and criteria, which do not explicitly account for the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

How many lower-layer super output areas are within Telford constituency; how those areas are ranked by top (a) 1%, (b) 5% and (c) 10% in the index of multiple deprivation; and what impact that data has on the allocation of funding by her Department.

The Office for National Statistics Open Geography Portal provides information on Lower Layer Super Output areas in England and Wales. This is available online at: https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/search?q=NAC_LSOA&sort=Date%20Created%7Ccreated%7Cdesc.In relation to deprivation, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the most recent iteration of the English Indices of Deprivation in September 2019. All data tables and resources are available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2019. The Open Data Communities platform provides deprivation data at postcode level or at local authority level. This is available online at: https://imd-by-postcode.opendatacommunities.org/imd/2019.With regards to how deprivation relates to funding decisions by the Home Office, the Department is responsible for funding a broad range of functions, services and programmes across its policing, national security and immigration remit. Decisions on how funding is deployed may consider factors such as deprivation if that is relevant based on the specific purpose and objectives of the funding stream.

How many lower-layer super output areas are within Telford constituency; how those areas are ranked by top (a) 1%, (b) 5% and (c) 10% in the index of multiple deprivation; and what impact that data has on the allocation of funding by her Department.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have published the Indices of Deprivation Local Authority dashboard which displays the number and level of deprivation of each Lower-layer Super Output Area (LSOA) within every local authority. This dashboard can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/english-indices-of-deprivation-2019-mapping-resources.Whilst the Index of Multiple Deprivation is not used to allocate funding in the schools, high needs or early years national funding formulae (NFFs), the associated Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI), is used in all three of these NFFs to target funding towards deprivation.In the schools NFF, IDACI funding is based on the IDACI 2019 area-based index measuring the relative deprivation of LSOAs. IDACI ranks are divided into seven bands, with more funding directed to pupils in the more deprived bands.In the high needs NFF, the IDACI factor targets funding towards more deprived local authorities, assuming high needs costs are greater in these areas.In the early years NFF, the IDACI factor is used as a proxy for relative levels of deprivation and is used in the 2 year-old and under 2s formula.Further information on the NFFs is available here:Schools NFF: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-for-schools-and-high-needs-2025-to-2026.High needs NFF: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-tables-for-schools-and-high-needs-2025-to-2026.Early years NFF: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-funding-2025-to-2026/2025-to-2026-early-years-national-funding-formulae-technical-note.

How many child trust funds are unclaimed in (a) Telford constituency, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England.

Information on Child Trust Funds is available in HMRC’s Annual Savings Statistics.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2024HMRC does not hold information on the geographical locations of Child Trust Fund account holders, therefore the requested regional breakdowns cannot be provided.

Communities and Local Government, how many lower-layer super output areas are within Telford constituency; how those areas are ranked by top (a) 1%, (b) 5% and (c) 10% in the index of multiple deprivation; and what impact that data has on the allocation of funding by her Department.

The indices of multiple deprivation (IMD) are publicly available, including information about the lower super output areas.The government has consulted on updating the distribution of local government finance in the Fair Funding Review 2.0. This includes proposals for a 'Foundation Formula' to assess relative demand for most non-social care services. More detail about the formula, including how it incorporates IMD data, can be found in the consultation document.The consultation has now closed and the government is considering the comments received.