Written questions by Stephenson.

If she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Household Support Fund in supporting pensioners in winter 2024-25.

The Department for Work and Pensions publishes Management Information on the Household Support Fund, including details on the proportion of funding spent on households with pensioners. The latest Management Information covering the scheme running from April 2023-March 2024 is available here: Household Support Fund management information - GOV.UK. Data that includes winter 2024-25 is still being collected and will be published later in 2025. Local Authorities have the discretion to design their own local schemes within the parameters of the guidance and grant determination that the Department for Work and Pensions have set out for the fund. This is because they have the ties and the knowledge to best determine how support should be provided in their local communities. The Department for Work and Pensions conducted an evaluation of the fourth iteration of the Household Support Fund, that ran from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, to understand the benefits of the awards made across England during this period. This will be published shortly.

What target her Department set for the number of new sign ups to Pension Credit between July and December 2024.

No targets for new awards or applications have been set, but the Government wants everyone eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to. That’s why we have been taking significant steps to maximise the take-up of Pension Credit. The Department’s campaign to promote Pension Credit has been running since September on TV, radio, social media such as Facebook and Instagram, on YouTube, on advertising screens, including on GP and Post Office screens as well as in the press. The latest phase of the campaign was aimed at friends and family - especially adult children of eligible pensioners - asking them to tell people they know about Pension Credit, encourage them to check their eligibility, as well as help them make a claim. In order to promote Pension Credit through as many channels as possible, we have also engaged with key stakeholders and partners, including other government departments, local councils, housing associations, community groups, local libraries and service providers as well as charities and third sector organisations.

If she will make an estimate of the proportion of Household Support Fund funding allocated to pensioners in 2024-25.

The Department for Work and Pensions publishes Management Information on the Household Support Fund, including details on the proportion of funding spent on households with pensioners. The latest Management Information covering the scheme running from April 2023-March 2024 is available here: Household Support Fund management information - GOV.UK. Data that includes winter 2024-25 is still being collected and will be published later in 2025. Local Authorities have the discretion to design their own local schemes within the parameters of the guidance and grant determination that the Department for Work and Pensions have set out for the fund. This is because they have the ties and the knowledge to best determine how support should be provided in their local communities. The Department for Work and Pensions conducted an evaluation of the fourth iteration of the Household Support Fund, that ran from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, to understand the benefits of the awards made across England during this period. This will be published shortly.

If she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners earning less than the Pension Credit threshold who did not receive winter fuel payment in winter 2024-25.

The Department does not yet have data on households who did not receive a Winter Fuel Payment in Winter 2024/25. The latest data on Winter Fuel Payment caseload is available here: Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

What estimate she has made of the number of pensioners in poverty in winter (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2023-24.

Statistics on the number of people living in relative and absolute poverty both before and after housing costs are produced on an annual basis and published in the Households Below Average Income statistics. The latest available data covers financial year ending 2023, and is published by the Department here Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2023 - GOV.UK

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a transient visitor levy on the UK visitor economy.

Tax policy is a matter for HM Treasury and there are no plans to introduce a visitor levy in England. Levies either have been or are being introduced in Scotland, Wales and some English cities and DCMS continues to monitor their impact on the visitor economy.

If she will make an estimate of the cost of new sign ups for Pension Credit between July and December 2024.

The latest data on Pension Credit applications and awards covers the period between 1 April 2024 and 17 November 2024 and is available here: Pension Credit applications and awards: November 2024 - GOV.UK. In the 16 weeks since the announcement on 29 July to means-test Winter Fuel Payment (which is up to and including end of week beginning 11 November), the Department received around 150,000 Pension Credit claims. The Department does not yet have an estimate of the value of these claims. However, the Department estimates that the legislation to means-test Winter Fuel Payments would generate a saving of £1.3 billion in England and Wales for 2024/25. An estimated increase in Pension Credit take-up of five percentage points would reduce the overall saving by £0.3 billion in 2024-25 in England and Wales, but there is significant uncertainty around this element of the costing. For further details, please see: Economic and fiscal outlook – CP 1169.

If she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners no longer eligible for winter fuel payment in winter 2024-25.

It is estimated that 9.2 million pensioners will lose their Winter Fuel Payments. This estimate was published in the OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook

If he will make an estimate of trends in the level of consumer spending amongst pensioners in quarter four of (a) 2024 and (b) 2023.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 15 January is attached.

If he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of NHS treatment for pensioners in winter (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2023-24.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of a transient visitor levy on UK tourism.

Tax policy is a matter for HM Treasury and there are no plans to introduce a visitor levy in England. Levies either have been or are being introduced in Scotland, Wales and some English cities and DCMS continues to monitor their impact on the visitor economy.

If he will make an estimate of the number of pensioners hospitalised in winter 2024-25.

Information on hospital admissions by pensioners, specifically, is not available. NHS England publishes information on admissions by age group, with the following table showing the latest data for those aged 65 years old and over:MonthAdmitted hospital attendances for people aged 65 years old and over, EnglandNovember 2024160,630December 2024 (provisional)154,995Source: NHS England https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2024-25/Notes:This data is provided as a percentage of total admissions; therefore, the figures have been calculated from these percentages and rounded to the nearest whole number.The data publication is released monthly, with December 2024 being the most recent publication. December figures are provisional and are subject to revisions.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of recent answers to Written Questions in the context of improving transparency in Government.

Parliament has a right to hold Ministers to account. I have written to all members of Cabinet to remind Ministers of their responsibilities to provide helpful and timely responses to Members' PQs.The Procedure Committee regularly monitors individual department’s PQ performance, and recently published a report on department’s performance in the 2023-24 session (available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/126/procedure-committee/publications/). I look forward to working with the Committee on this and other matters.I would encourage hon. Members to raise any specific issues they may have with myself and my office.

What estimate her Department has made of the cost of constructing East-West Rail in 2024 prices.

£1.3bn has been provided towards the delivery of East West Rail Connection Stage 1 (CS1) which will provide services from Oxford to Bletchley and Milton Keynes. The capital cost estimate for Connection Stages 2 (Oxford-Bedford) and 3 (Oxford-Cambridge) is £5bn-£6bn in 2021 prices. Final costs for the project will be driven by scope and design choices.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the equality of access to public services in rural areas.

Public bodies, in exercising their statutory responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), consider the adequacy of equality of access to public services, including through the use of tools such as Equality Impact Assessments. We are alre...

What steps his Department is taking to support off-grid properties to transition to clean fuels.

Currently, the Government’s Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) provides grants for energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating to low-income households living in the worst performing, off-grid homes in England. In September 2024, the Government announced a ne...

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Tree Protection Order regime in protecting (a) ancient and (b) veteran trees.

Ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees are already strictly protected in national planning policy, while Tree Preservation orders safeguard individual trees or groups of trees of particular value. Local planning authorities have the principal resp...

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential role of (a) ancient and (b) veteran trees in place-making for (i) large-scale new towns and (ii) urban extensions.

The government is committed to delivering a new generation of new towns. We have made clear these must be well-connected, well-designed, sustainable and attractive places where people want to live and that they must have all the infrastructure, amenities ...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to enhance the protection of (a) ancient and (b) veteran trees.

The Ancient Woodland Inventory, updated Planning Practice Guidance and the Standing Advice on ancient woodlands and ancient and veteran trees are in place to support local decision makers make informed decisions about planning applications near these habi...

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting additional protections to (a) ancient and (b) veteran trees in planning policy.

Ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees are already strictly protected in national planning policy, while Tree Preservation orders safeguard individual trees or groups of trees of particular value. Local planning authorities have the principal resp...