Written questions by Young.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce delays in renewals of Personal Independent Payments (PIP).

DWP continues to prioritise new claims to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) ensuring claims are processed and awarded as soon as possible. However, with limited capacity and resources, this means some customers are waiting longer than expected for their PIP review.To help address this, and to speed up the process and increase efficiency, the majority of reviews are now completed in-house. This means a DWP Case Manager can make a decision where sufficient evidence and information is provided or available. Where we cannot deal with a review in-house, and where an award may possibly end, we have robust measures in place to ensure all claims remain in payment, including those awards which rely on PIP to access Motability vehicles or automatic entitlement to a Blue Badge.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the minimum income floor on self-employed workers that are unable to work for brief periods due to (a) health issues and (b) care responsibilities.

No assessment has been made. The level of the MIF is equivalent to what a person in employed work in similar circumstances to the customer could expect to earn at living or minimum wage for their age. The MIF is therefore tailored to a customer’s individual circumstances; where a person has limitations on the hours they can reasonably be expected to work, for example because they have a health condition or caring responsibilities, the level of their MIF can be reduced. Short-term health conditions experienced by a customer, such as colds, flu, strains, and sprains, are regarded as part of the normal pattern of self-employment. Therefore, customers must plan for these periods as part of their ordinary business cycle.

What additional support is available for self-employed workers in receipt of Universal Credit that experience a short-term fall in their earnings.

Customers who are new to gainful self-employment are eligible for a 12-month 'start-up period’, during which the Minimum Income Floor does not apply. This means that if a customer experiences a drop in their earnings, their Universal Credit award will increase. This gives customers the opportunity to adjust to the characteristics of the sector in which they work, such as seasonal or fluctuating earnings patterns. Where a customer reports a loss from their self-employment, the value of the loss is considered when assessing earnings in future assessment periods. If the sum of any unused losses exceeds the amount of earnings in the subsequent monthly assessment period, the remaining value of the loss is carried forward to be offset against future earnings, until the loss is used up or the customer ceases self-employment. This may result in a customer receiving a higher Universal Credit award in the future. Work Coaches can signpost customers in the start-up period to national and local support where available, such as business advice, mentoring or training. This may also include connecting self-employed customers with other government support including:The Start Up Loans scheme, run by the British Business BankThe Business Support Helpline Local Growth Hubs in England, Business Wales and Find Business Support and Business Gateway in Scotland, which offer support, advice and guidance to new and existing businesses. If a self-employed customer has earnings below £2,600 (or £3,600 if in a couple) in the six months prior to an application, they may be eligible for a budgeting advance to help finance intermittent/ unforeseen expenses or expenses. This ensures low-income families that have an emergency financial need and do not have access to adequate savings or affordable loans can access funding to meet the emergency.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) mallard and (b) other gamebird rearing and release facilities have been found to be infected with (i) highly pathogenic avian influenza and (ii) which other notifiable diseases in each of the last five years.

Over the last five years highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed at seven premises (five in England, one in Scotland and one in Wales) where commercial gamebirds have been kept, out of a total of 411 premises were HPAI has been confirmed in poultry or other captive birds. Under avian influenza rules gamebird covers any pheasant, partridge, ptarmigan, grouse or moor game, black (or heath) game and ducks bred for shooting. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) holds records of how many poultry or other captive birds including kept gamebirds are culled for disease control purposes by Government. In addition, the outcome of veterinary investigations conducted by APHA at all sites where HPAI has been confirmed in kept birds including any cases in kept gamebirds are published on gov.uk in APHA’s outbreak epidemiology reports. These reports include information on the number and type of birds present at infected premises.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has had recent discussions with its international counterparts on (a) coordination and (b) information sharing in the context of the circulation of highly pathogenic avian influenza across international boundaries; and whether his Department plans to develop a platform for stakeholders to (i) share resources and (ii) coordinate efforts to help tackle the disease.

Wild waterbirds of the orders Anseriformes (for example, ducks, geese, and swans) and Charadriiformes (for example, gulls, terns, and waders) are considered the natural reservoir of avian influenza viruses. Their migratory patterns and interactions with kept birds form the backbone of most established avian influenza transmission networks worldwide enabling the virus to spread across international boundaries. This includes the UK despite robust controls preventing the movement of potentially infected poultry and poultry products from infected areas. International collaboration and knowledge exchange on global dynamics of avian influenza are facilitated through discussions between the UK Chief Veterinary Officer and representatives from Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) avian influenza national and international reference laboratories, and their global counterparts through the World Organisation for Animal Health, the Quadripartite Organisations and allied projects. This includes working through the joint WOAH-FOA Scientific Network on animal influenza OFFLU. In addition, international collaboration is ongoing through specific research projects, such as KAPPA-FLU project which is focusing on understanding the connectivity and dynamics of avian influenza. Information and guidance for bird keepers and members of the public are published and available via gov.uk/birdflu and the international research network FluGlobalNet platform founded by APHA which facilitates information and science exchange on animal influenzas.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on how many (a) mallard and (b) other gamebird rear and release facilities where cases of (i) highly pathogenic avian influenza and (ii) other notifiable diseases had been detected (A) had already released gamebirds into the natural environment that season and (B) were open to wild birds (1) by being unroofed and (2) through pop holes being open in each of the last five years.

My Department holds information on the release of Pheasants and Red-legged partridges on and within a 500m buffer of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in England for the last four years for SACs and two years for SPAs. In addition, the outcome of veterinary investigations conducted by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) at all sites where highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in poultry or other captive birds including any cases in kept gamebirds are published on gov.uk in APHA’s outbreak epidemiology reports. These reports include information on potential pathways to infection at the infected premises. Once gamebirds have been released, they are classed as wild birds for avian influenza rules. Reports of mortality in release gamebirds are investigated through APHA’s wild bird surveillance programme. Details of findings of HPAI in wild birds are published on gov.uk and are available to view and interrogate via APHA’s interactive wild bird surveillance map and dashboard.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on how many (a) mallards and (b) other gamebirds of which species have been destroyed at rearing and release facilities due to (i) highly pathogenic avian influenza and (ii) which other notifiable diseases in each of the last five years.

Over the last five years highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed at seven premises (five in England, one in Scotland and one in Wales) where commercial gamebirds have been kept, out of a total of 411 premises were HPAI has been confirmed in poultry or other captive birds. Under avian influenza rules gamebird covers any pheasant, partridge, ptarmigan, grouse or moor game, black (or heath) game and ducks bred for shooting. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) holds records of how many poultry or other captive birds including kept gamebirds are culled for disease control purposes by Government. In addition, the outcome of veterinary investigations conducted by APHA at all sites where HPAI has been confirmed in kept birds including any cases in kept gamebirds are published on gov.uk in APHA’s outbreak epidemiology reports. These reports include information on the number and type of birds present at infected premises.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the current research his Department is conducting on the impacts of gamebird releases includes looking at the impacts of mallard releases.

The current research my Department is conducting on the impacts of gamebird release does not include looking at impacts of mallard releases.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help tackle extra-judicial imprisonment.

The UK is committed to working with partners bilaterally, and at the UN, to end arbitrary detention, advocate for those who have been arbitrarily detained, and demand accountability. The UK is a vocal supporter of the Canadian initiative against the use of arbitrary detention in state-to-state relations. Minister Falconer recently met the US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs to discuss this issue. Through the Rule of Law Expertise (ROLE UK) programme the FCDO is working in partnership with stakeholders across the legal, judicial and development sectors to promote and strengthen the rule of law around the world.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing river dredging to help reduce flooding on agricultural land.

Dredging and clearing channels is an important option for watercourse maintenance, where it is technically and cost effective, does not significantly increase flood risk for others and is environmentally acceptable. For many locations, there are more effe...

If she will take steps to improve the effectiveness of data collection from mobile phones by the police in relation to crime.

The Digital Forensics Programme (DFP) scopes, develops and delivers innovative solutions to ensure policing can use high quality technology to tackle the rising volumes of digital forensics work, including forensic examinations of mobile phones, more effi...

Whether entitlement to a defined benefit occupational pension affects entitlement to Universal Credit if that pension is not drawn.

It has been a long-standing policy of successive governments to encourage people to save for their retirement. Universal Credit is a means-tested benefit and takes occupational and personal pensions into account when the customer receives that income unde...

Whether he is taking steps to use maritime spatial planning to identify areas with high potential for the development of offshore wind energy.

In October 2024, the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments jointly commissioned the NESO to produce a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) for Great Britain. This more strategic approach to planning will help accelerate the government’s clean energy superpow...

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to strengthen communities in the aftermath of the recent riots.

The Government has made £15 million available to the places most severely affected by disorder through the Community Recovery Fund to support the immediate recovery. Officials from my department have also carried out an extensive engagement process with t...

Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken to communicate the recent changes to the Right to Buy scheme to eligible social housing tenants.

The government made clear in its manifesto that it intended to review the increased right to buy discounts introduced in 2012 and reiterated this in a Written Ministerial Statement on 30 July. The Right to Buy discounts review was published alongside the ...

What steps he is taking to support job creation in the renewable energy sector.

Our recently announced Clean Industry Bonus will help to drive investment in our heartland and coastal communities, and in cleaner supply chains – creating economic opportunities in the supply chains of the future. We have also set up the Office for Clean...

What recent steps his Department has taken to help support (a) people with dementia and (b) their carers.

NHS England has recently refreshed the RightCare Dementia Scenario. This sets out best practice for supporting people with dementia. NHS England has also funded an evidence-based improvement project to fund two trusts in each region, 14 sites in total, to...

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential impact of a tax on tourism.

We have no plans to introduce a tax on tourism.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of incentivising people serving non-violent custodial sentences to undertake more community service work.

Prisoners serving non-violent custodial sentences currently can access community service work through Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) during the custodial element of their sentence. Prisoners are eligible to be considered for ROTL once they have serve...

Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 2.72 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on social care of a £600 million investment.

This Government recognises the pressures on councils delivering social care services. Including the £600 million of new grant funding announced at the Autumn Budget, the Government is providing over £10 billion in 2025-26 Settlement funding for social car...