Every parliamentary written question tabled by Will Forster this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 61–80 of 337 · this parliament
Whether compliance with consumer protection legislation is part of the fit and proper test for private hire vehicle operators.
The Department for Transport’s view is that compliance with any legislation is a relevant consideration in assessing the suitability of a holder of any taxi and private hire vehicle licence.
Whether her department has assessed the impact of noise levels from National Highway project’s on community groups.
National Highways is responsible for assessing noise associated with individual road schemes as part of the planning process, alongside managing noise from the Strategic Road Network more generally. The Department sets out its expectations on what National Highways must do to mitigate noise from the Strategic Road Network as part of its Road Investment Strategies, and will shortly be publishing the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3). In the case of transport noise, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for assessing noise across England and conducts noise mapping as part of implementing the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006. National Highways’s noise mitigation work is focused on those areas defined by Defra as Noise Important Areas, within its Noise Action Plans.
What assessment he has made of the extent to which administrative errors by the Child Maintenance Service contribute to the creation of incorrect arrears; and what steps his Department is taking to rectify such cases.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to providing timely, transparent, and accurate information to parents. To support this, CMS uses proportionate controls to ensure calculation accuracy, including verified income from HMRC and Child Benefit systems, dedicated verification processes, and a three tier quality framework. These measures help minimise administrative and calculation errors that could otherwise contribute to incorrect arrears being created. Where CMS identifies—either through its internal checks or following a parent’s challenge—that a single accidental error relating to the maintenance calculation has occurred, it can apply a correction without requiring a full Mandatory Reconsideration (MR), provided the challenge is raised within legislative timescales. The CMS also operates a liability schedule which acts as the authoritative record of assessed liability, payments received, and arrears, ensuring over‑ and under‑payments are correctly reconciled. All calculation decisions may be challenged through the MR process, which allows a parent to request a review before appealing to His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service. During MR, CMS reassesses the decision and considers any new information; where an error is confirmed, the decision is revised accordingly. Through the Service Modernisation Programme, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has strengthened accuracy and communication by introducing enhanced digital tools, clearer written communications, expanded use of SMS and email, and greater self‑service functionality. These improvements, including automated processing of simple case updates through My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC), enable parents to access and update case information 24/7, improve accuracy, reduce administrative errors, and speed up changes. The Department rigorously monitors accuracy and continues to meet the National Audit Office (NAO) monetary error target of under 1%, ensuring robust oversight of error rates and arrears calculations.
Whether she will review the statutory guidance on school attendance to allow exemptions for term-time holidays for children in foster care with complex needs and SEND when travel during peak holiday periods is not feasible.
There are currently no plans to review our approach to term-time holidays. Schools may grant a leave of absence for exceptional circumstances at their discretion by judging each application on the specific facts. However, generally a holiday would not constitute an exceptional circumstance. The school year is structured so that there are opportunities for holidays outside of term-time. Schools and local authorities also have considerable flexibility to plan term dates themselves and hold INSET days and other occasional days at quieter times of the year, allowing parents and carers to plan breaks at times that suit them.This government recognises there can be considerable additional pressures on some pupils and their parents and carers, including for children in foster care with complex needs. However, all children have a right to a full-time education and we do not believe the solution is to endorse additional time away from school.
What the average time is for the Child Maintenance Service to resolve complaints escalated beyond initial review.
The Department does not hold centrally collated information on the average time taken for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to resolve complaints escalated beyond initial review.CMS follows the Department’s complaints service standard, aiming to resolve complaints, or provide a clear resolution plan, within 15 working days. For more complex cases, they keep complainants updated on progress and advise when a full response can be expected.CMS continues to strengthen its complaints handling processes, drawing on insights from the Independent Case Examiner and operational feedback to support ongoing improvements and enhance the customer experience.
What assessment she has made on the cost of travel surveys to the public and their value for money.
Travel surveys can provide vital evidence to enable better targeting of investments to improve transport for people and businesses across the country. The cost of conducting travel surveys will vary by the methods, scope and other factors involved.
Whether her Department plans to issue guidance to licensing authorities on consumer transparency requirements where private hire vehicle bookings are subcontracted between operators licensed in different areas.
The Department keeps its guidance to licensing authorities under review. The Government is legislating to increase consistency in the sector so that regardless of where a passenger travels, they can be confident the services that they use are subject to robust licensing standards.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the required alignment of surnames on EU and UK official documents on women from European countries who retain their birth name on official documents from their home country.
The Home Office holds a one name for all official purposes policy, to protect the integrity and security of the British passport, helping His Majesty’s Passport Office confirm the identity of anyone applying for a British passport.The aim of the policy is to deter and disrupt those who wish to change their name to commit crime or evade detection, and by the fact it is applied equally to all customers.Exceptions can be supported where it would be unreasonable to ask a customer to change their name.In such cases, HM Passport Office can apply an administrative fairness test and may issue a passport in the name the customer has applied in, even though it is different to the name on their foreign passport. This includes where a married woman cannot assume her spouse’s surname.We continue to monitor the effectiveness and impacts of this policy.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of requiring parents to apply for Child Benefit on their eligibility to qualify for National Insurance credits.
Child Benefit is a non-means tested benefit payable to families as a contribution towards the cost of raising children. Successfully applying for Child Benefit automatically gives eligible parents and carers Class 3 National Insurance (NI) credits until their child turns twelve. The requirement to apply for Child Benefit to qualify for the corresponding NI credit has existed since the introduction of Child Benefit in 2010. A similar policy link between Child Benefit and an individual’s NI record applied previously via Home Responsibilities Protection. Given the link between Child Benefit and an individual’s NI record is a long-standing feature of the system, HMRC has not conducted an assessment of the impacts of requiring parents to apply for Child Benefit to access these particular NI credits.
Whether bereavement cases where a civil servant retired on ill health grounds prior to death are being prioritised in addressing the Civil Service Pensions Scheme backlog; and what steps he is taking to ensure that surviving spouses in such cases receive pensions payments from the Scheme.
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The delays faced by pension scheme members in accessing their pensions are unacceptable. We recognise the significant pressure on surviving spouses, particularly in cases involving a prior ill-health retirement. Capita has 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. A similar position will be reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March. This prioritisation extends to the surviving spouses of these members; once an ill-health retirement is processed, any subsequent survivor benefit claims are fast-tracked within the highest priority recovery stream to ensure payments reach the bereaved without further undue delay. We have set up a dedicated team to work urgently with Capita, with 650 full time staff across Government and Capita and restoring normal service as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery.Alongside these arrangements, Capita has prioritised payment of tax-free pension lump sums for members who had received quotations but were not in receipt of their benefits, with the vast majority of these having been paid in February.The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update (2 March 2026) is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-update-2-march-2026
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many people have contacted her Department, including for consular assistance, because they or their family members are unable to travel to the UK following the changes to immigration rules for dual nationals that came into effect on 25 February 2025.
Immigration rules are a matter for the Home Office. Our records show that Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Consular Contact Centre have passed 6,097 enquiries related to these changes to the Home Office since September 2025.
What plans her Department has for the future of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant beyond April 2026; and if she will consider extending the scheme to support the uptake of low and zero emission L-category vehicles.
The Plug in Motorcycle Grant has supported almost 16,000 vehicle purchases since 2016 and, as announced in February 2025, will close at the end of the 2025/26 financial year or when budgets have been exhausted, whichever comes first. EV incentives are designed to encourage the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). It is crucial they target the most polluting vehicles to enable the Government to meet its legally binding carbon emission reduction targets. Policy interventions are always kept under review.
Whether his Department plans to assess eligibility for the Immigration Health Surcharge reimbursement scheme for roles supporting NHS services not directly employed by NHS organisations.
When applying for an Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) reimbursement, the applicant must satisfy the requirement of ‘eligible work’ as set out in the IHS guidance. Applicants need to be working in a role where they provide a service which is related to the delivery of health or social care and are either employed or engaged to do the work by a recognised health or care provider, for example, National Health Service trusts or national NHS bodies.There are currently no plans to assess eligibility for the IHS reimbursement scheme for roles supporting NHS services not directly employed by NHS organisations.
Whether his Department plans to review its approach to employment disputes and whistleblowing complaints.
National Health Service organisations are independent employers and have their own policies and procedures for resolving workplace disputes, including whistleblowing complaints, which should be aligned to current employment law and relevant Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service codes of practice or guidance.The Department for Business and Trade and the Ministry of Justice have set up the Dispute Resolution System Taskforce to consider longer-term system reform of dispute resolution across all sectors.
How many times the NHS has settled employment disputes and whistleblowing complaints before going to court in the last five years.
The Department does not hold the information requested. Each National Health Service employer should hold this information for their own organisation. NHS organisations as independent employers who manage their own employment disputes and whether and how to settle claims prior to an Employment Tribunal or court hearing.
How much the NHS has spent on legal costs and compensation following employment disputes and whistleblowing complaints in the last five years.
Information is not held centrally as it is held at trust level. The Department and NHS England do not hold employment dispute data for all National Health Service employers. Employment disputes are typically raised against an individual employee’s employing organisation, and each trust are separate employers.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of commissioning controls, including Indicative Activity Plans, on access to children’s ADHD and autism assessments.
Patients have a legal Right to Choose their provider when referred for National Health Service funded eligible care.In 2023, NHS England published National framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services aimed at supporting those in commissioning roles during their commissioning cycles and operational guidance to support and inform decision-making at service level. These two guidance documents are available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance/https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/operational-guidance-to-deliver-improved-outcomes-in-all-age-autism-assessment-pathways-guidance-for-integrated-care-boards/Integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring that their processes comply with the legal Right to Choose.NHS England is aware that commissioning controls on levels of assessment activity have been set by some commissioners and is working with systems to develop a supporting document to the NHS Payment Scheme 2026/27 statutory consultation to help identify the costs associated with undertaking autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments. This aims to help guide the pricing and create a more equitable and consistent approach to the autism and ADHD assessment payment process. NHS England published the NHS Standard Contract which requires integrated care boards (ICBs) to agree indicative activity plans (IAPs) for any service area which is variably funded, to aid in planning and capacity and demand management. IAPs are planning tools which do not restrict activity carried out by a provider.The NHS Medium Term Planning Framework requires ICBs to undertake thorough demand and capacity planning and to strategically commission services that meet the needs of their patient population. ICBs may need to prioritise certain areas of care for their patient population, which may include managing planned assessment activity in some areas through Activity Management Plans.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. This independent review will inform our new approach to mental health, so people receive the right support, at the right time and in the right place. Likewise, the review will inform our approach so that people with ADHD and autistic people have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.
How many Gurkha veterans who served prior to 2007 receive pension benefits lower than those received by British Army personnel with equivalent rank and length of service.
The Government greatly values the exceptional and longstanding contribution made by Gurkha soldiers to the United Kingdom. Since 2007, Gurkhas have received the same pension under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme as the rest of the UK Armed Forces. For those who served prior to 2007, for the large majority, the 1948 Gurkha Pension Scheme provides a pension at least as good, and in many cases better, than that given to their British counterparts with identical periods of service. Whilst Defence recognises that the position on historic Gurkha pension arrangements is a source of grievance for some members of the Gurkha community, it should be noted that both the Government and Courts consider that the arrangements are fair and were designed to reflect the context of the period during which scheme was open. In addition, a key principle for public service pensions, maintained by governments over many decades is that no retrospective improvements are made to pensions in payment. To do so would mean that improvements of any kind would become unaffordable for Government. While we are unable to change the terms of the Gurkha Pension Scheme, I am committed to listening to concerns directly and exploring alternative ways to meet the welfare needs of the Gurkha veteran community, both in the UK and Nepal. On 16 December 2025, I met with officials from the Government of Nepal and representatives of the G10 to discuss Gurkha welfare issues. These discussions reinforced the strong and ongoing collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and the Gurkha veteran community. I have asked officials to meet again with Gurkha representatives early this year, and I look forward to continuing dialogue with the Government of Nepal in the spring.
Whether he plans to review the 1948 Gurkha Pension Scheme to ensure parity with the Armed Forces Pension Scheme for all pre-2007 Gurkha veterans.
The Government greatly values the exceptional and longstanding contribution made by Gurkha soldiers to the United Kingdom. Since 2007, Gurkhas have received the same pension under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme as the rest of the UK Armed Forces. For those who served prior to 2007, for the large majority, the 1948 Gurkha Pension Scheme provides a pension at least as good, and in many cases better, than that given to their British counterparts with identical periods of service. Whilst Defence recognises that the position on historic Gurkha pension arrangements is a source of grievance for some members of the Gurkha community, it should be noted that both the Government and Courts consider that the arrangements are fair and were designed to reflect the context of the period during which scheme was open. In addition, a key principle for public service pensions, maintained by governments over many decades is that no retrospective improvements are made to pensions in payment. To do so would mean that improvements of any kind would become unaffordable for Government. While we are unable to change the terms of the Gurkha Pension Scheme, I am committed to listening to concerns directly and exploring alternative ways to meet the welfare needs of the Gurkha veteran community, both in the UK and Nepal. On 16 December 2025, I met with officials from the Government of Nepal and representatives of the G10 to discuss Gurkha welfare issues. These discussions reinforced the strong and ongoing collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and the Gurkha veteran community. I have asked officials to meet again with Gurkha representatives early this year, and I look forward to continuing dialogue with the Government of Nepal in the spring.
What steps is she taking to ensure school buildings are adequately maintained for future use.
This government has published its education estates strategy backed by a 10 year plan to deliver a decade of renewal to transform schools and colleges in England. It is supported by unprecedented long-term funding through to 2034/35. We are investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance for schools and colleges, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26. We are also launching a new Renewal and Retrofit Programme, backed by over £700 million to 2029/30, to improve the condition of school and college buildings, increase resilience to climate change and protect schools from flooding so buildings can last for decades to come and are net zero ready. The Programme will start with schools in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber and the South East, and will be expanded from 2027 to other regions in England. We will set out further details in due course on how schools and colleges join the programme from 2027.