Written questions by Adam.

Whether his Department collects data on document handling errors or lost filings in County Court civil cases.

The information requested is not held centrally. The terms “document handling errors” and “lost filings” are broad and may encompass a wide range of issues, making it difficult to provide a specific or reliable answer. HMCTS is reducing the risk of administrative errors in civil claims through work to digitalise processes.The Deputy Prime Minister has announced further modernisation of civil justice with £50 million investment to continue digitalising the County Court.

If the Government reduce VAT on public electric vehicle charging to match the domestic rate.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. The supply of energy for domestic use attracts the reduced rate of VAT (5 per cent). Whilst this relief was not designed or introduced for charging EVs at home, it applies for all uses of domestic energy, as it is not easy for energy companies to distinguish between electricity used to charge an EV and electricity used for general domestic purposes. Public EV charging, on the other hand, is subject to the standard rate of VAT (twenty per cent). This matches the VAT treatment of petrol and diesel, as well as all non-domestic electricity.

Will the Government provide guidance to local authorities on permitting cross-pavement EV charging for residents.

The Government is working with local authorities to encourage cross-pavement solutions to support EV charging for those without off-street parking. In December 2024, the Government published cross-pavement solutions guidance to help local authorities understand what they need to consider for the roll-out of cross-pavement solutions. This includes relevant planning permissions, minimum existing standards, responsibilities and case studies from trials.

What funding is available to support local authorities in providing EV charging for residents without off-street parking.

The Government’s £400 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund supports local authorities to deliver over 100,000 further public charge points for residents without off-street parking. In addition, the £25 million EV Pavement Channel Grant supports local authorities to rollout cross-pavement solutions. This will ensure more residents can benefit from cheaper and more convenient domestic EV charging. This funding is to build on more than 118,000 publicly available chargers in England and Wales as of 1 March.

What is the Government doing to ensure residents without off-street parking can access domestic-rate electric vehicle charging.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV).The £25 million EV Pavement Channel Grant supports local authorities to roll out cross-pavement solutions which enable residents without off-street parking to benefit from cheaper and more convenient domestic EV charging. Residents can also access the Electric Vehicle Charge point Grant for Households with On-Street Parking. As announced on 25 February 2026, from 1 April this year, eligible applicants can receive up to £500 off the cost of installing a domestic charge point when paired with a cross-pavement solution.

How the Government plans to ensure cross-pavement EV charging solutions remain sustainable and avoid unnecessary costs in the event that properties change ownership.

The commercial arrangements between each local authority and cross‑pavement solution provider will determine who is responsible for maintenance, including when property ownership changes. It is the responsibility of local authorities to develop their own policies on maintenance and change of ownership. Published in December 2024, the Government’s cross‑pavement solutions guidance helps local authorities develop policies that account for both maintenance requirements and situations involving changes in property ownership.

Whether he has made recent assessment concerning NHS contracts awarded to Palantir.

Privacy by design is a core principle of the NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP). NHS England constantly assesses privacy and data management through strict information governance processes detailed in the NHS Federated Data Platform Information Governance Framework. Data in the NHS FDP remains under National Health Service control at all times.Palantir does not control the data in the platform, nor are they permitted to access, use, or share it for their own purposes.The contract has strict stipulations about confidentiality, and there is governance in place to monitor delivery and usage. NHS England is the data controller of the national instance of the NHS FDP. Every hospital trust and integrated care board who has their own instance of the NHS FDP has complete control over who has access to their data platform.NHS England maintains continuous monitoring of the NHS FDP contract, to ensure it meets expectations. The NHS FDP is a major national digital infrastructure programme and is formally part of the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). The NHS FDP programme is subject to the scrutiny, assurance, and value for money standards required of all GMPP programmes. NHS FDP’s whole life costs and benefits are assessed through the annual GMPP process.The NHS FDP is subject to scrutiny by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) as part of the major projects review. NISTA’s latest data, published on 11 August 2025, sets out the projected benefits of NHS FDP at £777 million. The data records the Senior Responsible Owner Delivery Confidence rating as Green, the highest rating. The report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nista-annual-report-2024-2025

What assessment has her Department made of the potential impact of the earned settlement model on Black migrant women who face (a) labour market exclusion due to abuse, (b) caring responsibilities, (d) trauma and (e) insecure immigration status.

The earned settlement public consultation ran for 12 weeks and closed on 12 February 2026. We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement.Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly. As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both economic impact assessments and equality impact assessments which we will publish as well as the Government’s response in due course.We have already set out that grants of settlement related to the Windrush Scheme will not be impacted by the settlement reforms.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of recommendations in the Windrush Lessons Learned Review on its Earned Settlement proposals.

The earned settlement public consultation ran for 12 weeks and closed on 12 February 2026. We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement.Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly. As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both economic impact assessments and equality impact assessments which we will publish as well as the Government’s response in due course.We have already set out that grants of settlement related to the Windrush Scheme will not be impacted by the settlement reforms.

What contract penalty clauses relating to delivery failures were included in the Civil Service Pension Scheme administration contract.

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 prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March. The Cabinet Office will continue to use all available commercial levers to hold Capita to account and ensure they deliver the contractual service levels.

If he will set out the assurances his Department received from Capita on being able to meet their obligations under the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme prior to the contract being awarded.

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 prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March. The Cabinet Office will continue to use all available commercial levers to hold Capita to account and ensure they deliver the contractual service levels.

If she will publish the risk assessments carried out on the use of facial recognition technology by Palantir Technologies in policing, especially on privacy and discrimination issues.

The Home Office is not aware of any direct involvement by Palantir in the police’s use of facial recognition systems.

What assessment her Department has made of the compatibility of Palantir Technologies’ contracts with UK government ethical procurement guidelines, in light of the company’s reported operational links to the Israeli military.

The Home Office does not hold any agreements with Palantir Technologies.

Whether her Department has considered the potential implications of awarding contracts to companies reportedly providing technological support to military operations that are alleged to violate international humanitarian law.

All potential Suppliers to the Home Office must meet rigorous financial, legal and technical eligibility checks at various stages of a procurement and before a Contract is awarded. Under Procurement Act 2023, the Home Office is able to exclude suppliers from participating in procurements due to various risks.These risks include reliable delivery, effective competition, public confidence, protection of public funds, environmental, national security and employee rights.

Whether any UK police forces have used Palantir software in conjunction with live or retrospective facial recognition systems since January 2020.

The Home Office is not aware of any direct involvement by Palantir in the police’s use of facial recognition systems.

What steps his Department has taken to ensure that no UK public funds awarded to Palantir Technologies are used to support activities connected to violations of international law.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes the proper use of public funds and compliance with international law extremely seriously. All contracts with Palantir are governed by strict commercial, legal and security controls to ensure that United Kingdom (UK) funding is used only for authorised Defence purposes. Robust oversight mechanisms, including due diligence, conflict-of interest checks and ongoing supplier governance ensure full compliance with our legal obligations and provide assurance that no public funds support any activity connected to violations of international law. The MOD applies strict legal, ethical and security checks before awarding any contract. As part of this process, we consider whether a supplier’s wider activities raise concerns, including any allegation of involvement in operations that could breach International Humanitarian Law. Where risks are identified, additional assurance and contractual controls are applied to ensure MOD capabilities are used only for lawful, authorised purposes under UK direction.

Whether his Department has considered the potential implications of awarding contracts to companies reportedly providing technological support to military operations that are alleged to violate international humanitarian law.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes the proper use of public funds and compliance with international law extremely seriously. All contracts with Palantir are governed by strict commercial, legal and security controls to ensure that United Kingdom (UK) funding is used only for authorised Defence purposes. Robust oversight mechanisms, including due diligence, conflict-of interest checks and ongoing supplier governance ensure full compliance with our legal obligations and provide assurance that no public funds support any activity connected to violations of international law. The MOD applies strict legal, ethical and security checks before awarding any contract. As part of this process, we consider whether a supplier’s wider activities raise concerns, including any allegation of involvement in operations that could breach International Humanitarian Law. Where risks are identified, additional assurance and contractual controls are applied to ensure MOD capabilities are used only for lawful, authorised purposes under UK direction.

Whether her Department carried out a Public Sector Equality Duty assessment before signing a contract with Palantir.

The Home Office is not aware of any direct involvement by Palantir in the police’s use of facial recognition systems.

What steps have been taken to ensure (a) transparency and (b) community accountability in trials of facial recognition technology involving Palantir in (i) Leicester and (ii) the UK.

The Home Office is not aware of any direct involvement by Palantir in the police’s use of facial recognition systems.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending Business Rates reimbursements to Community Pharmacies.

In the Autumn Budget 2025, the Government made hard choices in order to protect the National Health Service in England and continue to prioritise reducing waiting times. We have also stepped in to cap bills and help businesses, as part of a £4.3 billion support package.This year, we have also increased funding to community pharmacies to almost £3.1 billion, the largest uplift in funding for any part of the NHS across 2024/25 and 2025/26.The Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27 shortly.