Written questions by Berry.

What steps he is taking to ensure that staff who process Universal Credit advances take into consideration arrears owed to claimants by his Department.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking to increase the capacity of the Health Assessment Advisory Service to carry out Work Capability reassessments; and what service level agreements are in place to ensure that Serco meets the requirements of its contract for this work.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking to reduce the length of time taken to complete security vetting for Probation Service staff.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, if he will take legislative steps to bring into force section 63 and schedule 30 of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026.

Awaiting answer.

If she will take action to review and reform student loan repayment terms, including (a) unfreezing the repayment threshold, (b) reviewing the current application of interest rates, and (c) abolishing or capping interest.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she plans to reform the student finance system; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) reintroducing maintenance grants on a universal basis and (b) a full review of undergraduate and postgraduate loan structures, including Plan 2 and Plan 5 loans.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to monitor inconsistencies between local authorities in the recycling of plant pots (excluding black plant pots), following the introduction of legislation for simpler recycling; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure compliance with the requirement to collect these items.

Awaiting answer.

What the threshold will be for an EHC needs assessment and an EHC plan under the proposed reforms set out in the consultation, SEND reform: Putting children and young people first.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Local Government and Homelessness in the debate on Temporary Accommodation: Out of Area Placements on 20 January 2026, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Brighton and Hove City Council's adherence to the homelessness code of guidance; and what steps he is taking to engage with stakeholders to gather evidence for strengthening that guidance, including BHCC.

Awaiting answer.

Further to the answer to question UIN 92784, and in light of the publication of the Metropolitan Police Annual Report on the use of live facial recognition (LFR) in September 2025, if she will ask all police force areas to collect and publish similar and consistent data on its use; and if she will collect and collate this at a national level, to ensure Parliamentary scrutiny on the uses of this technology.

The Police Reform Bill will introduce a new legal framework to underpin law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies, and this will give due consideration to reporting and transparency.

How the provision set out in Individual Support Plans for children with SEND under the potential reforms proposed in the consultation, SEND reform: Putting children and young people first, would be enforced.

Awaiting answer.

How much National Highways is setting aside for the next ten years, in (a) revenue, and (b) capital costs, to operate and maintain the A1(M) now that it has been handed back to National Highways after the expiry on 31 March 2026 of the 30-year Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) contract.

Awaiting answer.

What definition is being used for ‘complex needs’ under the proposed reforms set out in the consultation, SEND reform: Putting children and young people first.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a duty on local authorities to provide a minimum level of provision of free access to public toilets in (a) town and city centres and (b) other areas with high numbers of visitors and resident need.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the quality of communications materials about student loans and their terms, in particular the communication of risk and long-term costs to vulnerable students; and what steps she will take to help ensure full transparency about the cost of these loans.

Awaiting answer.

How much the 30-year contract to Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) the A1(M) has cost the public finances during each financial year of the concession up to 31 March 2026, and to provide these costs in terms of actual spending in pounds for each year, rather than normalised to any other year.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Active Lives survey measure of engaging in active travel at least twice in the last 28 days as an indicator of levels of regular walking and cycling in the Local Government Outcomes Framework; and whether her Department plans to develop a different measure to assess and drive increases in active travel.

Awaiting answer.

Whether local authorities have any flexibility to use capital funding allocated either through the Local Authority Bus Grant or the Transport for City Regions fund as revenue funding for related bus operations.

Awaiting answer.

What estimate she has made of the total annual value of inward investment attributable to international students in each of the last five years; and what the average contribution of international student was in each of those years.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department has made on considering (a) the establishment of a research college and (b) the implementation of an Areas of Research Interest approach to support research and innovation in fire and rescue services.

Awaiting answer.