Written questions by Paffey.

Communities and Local Government, when he plans to announce new burdens funding for local authorities associated with the passage of the Renters Rights Bill.

My Department will set out the funding we intend to make available to local authorities to meet new burdens arising from the Renters’ Rights Bill in due course.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing further recourse in situations where an employment tribunal award (a) relating to (i) wages, (ii) holiday pay, (iii) compensatory notice pay and (iv) compensation for unfair dismissal and (b) otherwise not relating to redundancy has been made but cannot be enforced because the company is no longer trading but has not gone into formal insolvency.

The Government is not planning such an assessment; however, we are committed to our ambitious agenda to deliver our Plan for Change by ensuring employment rights are fit for a modern economy, empowering working people and contributing to economic growth and will continue to keep wider enforcement of employment rights under review.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) waiting times for (i) appeals and (ii) repayments and (b) other delays in HMRC processes on (A) investment in and (B) the growth of small businesses.

HMRC recognises the importance of tax repayments in supporting business confidence and growth. While appeals and repayments are subject to necessary checks to mitigate fraud and error, HMRC continues to improve processing times through increased staffing and automation, and remains committed to balancing efficiency with robust compliance controls. HMRC’s correspondence service standard is to respond to 80% of priority post within 15 working days. Monthly performance against this standard is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports HMRC’s online services include a ‘Where’s my reply’ tool which provides estimated response times. The tool is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-when-you-can-expect-a-reply-from-hmrc HMRC is always looking at ways to improve customer experience. Their recently published transformation roadmap sets out how they will deliver improved services which will mean a better experience for taxpayers, agents, and businesses.

What data his Dpartment holds on the average waiting times for (a) ADHD and (b) autism diagnosis for (i) primary school age and (ii) secondary school age children.

The information is not held centrally in the format requested, but some data on waiting times for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism assessments for children aged 0-17 is available on the NHS England website at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-adhd/august-2025https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/autism-statistics/july-2024-to-june-2025

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential (a) merits of introducing a preventative screening programme for (i) kidney and (ii) chest conditions and (b) impact of such a programme on (A) early detection, (B) patient outcomes and (C) long-term cost savings to the NHS.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) reviewed the evidence to screen for kidney disease (glomerulonephritis) in 2011 and recommended against screening becausethere is no evidence that screening would be effective at improving outcomes for those with a positive resultthere is a lack of effective treatments for those who receive a positive resultprogrammes in other countries have not been found to be clinically or cost effective However, the National Health Service Health Check assesses for high blood pressure and high blood sugar which are risk factors for the development of both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Where an individual’s NHS Health Check indicates high blood pressure or high blood sugar, it is for their general practitioner to consider the results, and then, if required, undertake further clinical investigation and treatment where appropriate.The 10-Year Health Plan outlines our intention to publish a Modern Service Framework for CVD, which will identify the best evidenced interventions, set clear quality standards, drive innovation in CVD prevention and management, and reduce unwarranted variation.The UK NSC’s recommendation to screen for lung cancer was accepted in 2023 and a national programme is in the process of being rolled out.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that (a) homeless people, (b) people in temporary accommodation and (c) other people who are eligible for, but are not in receipt of, the housing element of Universal Credit are able to confirm their entitlement to those benefits when (i) undertaking affordability checks and (ii) signing a tenancy agreement.

The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that vulnerable adults and those with temporary accommodation are adequately supported in securing and managing their benefit. We offer a variety of support for these customers, much of which is tailored to customer’s individual needs. As part of the process of claiming Universal Credit, we ask the claimant to provide details of the type of accommodation they currently live in, and will either:Pay housing costs through their UC award if they rent from either a private landlord or a social rented sector landlordSignpost the claimant to claim Housing Benefit if they live in Temporary or Supported AccommodationOffer Support for Mortgage Interest if the claimant is a homeowner and has a mortgagePay no housing costs if the claimant is not eligible to have them paid.In addition to above, we offer a holistic case management approach where our agents are expected to offer advice and support on a case-by-case basis. We continue to review and iterate our services to optimise the claimant experience.

If he will take steps to ensure that increases in the National Living Wage are matched by sustainable funding for local authority social care budgets.

The Spending Review 2025 allows for an increase of over £4 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26.The Government took the cost pressures facing adult social care, including increases to the National Living Wage, into account as part of the wider consideration of local government spending within the 2024 Autumn Budget process.

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on water safety education for primary school children.

Departmental officials had discussions with their Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs counterparts in drawing up the new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance. The department has made water safety and the Water Safety Code part of statutory health education, taught as part of RSHE. It is included within the new topic of ‘personal safety’. The new curriculum comes into force from September 2026. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.Swimming and water safety are also compulsory elements of the primary physical education curriculum at key stages 1 and 2.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle (a) insurance fraud and (b) ghost brokers in the motor insurance industry.

The Government recognises the harm caused by insurance fraud, including ghost broking. This is why we have launched an Insurance Fraud Charter with key firms setting out a series of voluntary measures to disrupt and deter insurance fraud. As part of the Stop! Think Fraud public communications campaign, the Government supported a campaign led by the Association of British Insurers, the City of London Police, and the Insurance Fraud Bureau to highlight the signs of Ghost Broking and encourage public reporting to CheatLine. We continue working with law enforcement and industry partners, including the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, to combat this crime and protect consumers. The Government also launched a cross-government motor insurance taskforce, co-chaired by the Department for Transport and His Majesty’s Treasury, to help drive down the costs of motor insurance and will consider related fraud as part of this. The taskforce is expected to publish its final report in the autumn.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has independently reviewed the most recent Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls completed by Vistry for French Court, SO14 2DZ.

The Department has not commissioned an independent review of a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls for this building.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of unsafe cladding on the ability of leaseholders to sell their flats; and what steps his Department plans to take to support those leaseholders.

Ten major mortgage lenders have pledged to consider lending on properties in buildings which are 11 metres or above even if there are unresolved building safety issues. The building must be in a remediation scheme, and/or the leaseholder must qualify for the protections in the Building Safety Act and have completed a ‘Leaseholder Deed of Certificate’ to evidence it. We engage with lenders to make sure they are upholding the pledge and gather supporting data.

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions his Department has had with insurance companies on costs for (a) residents and (b) leaseholders in buildings with (i) cladding and (ii) fire safety defects.

As set out in the Remediation Acceleration Plan published in July 2025, the department has been regularly engaging with the insurance industry to test the feasibility and scope of any potential options to reduce high insurance bills for some leaseholders while their building undergoes remediation for fire related defects.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for access to work applications.

As set out in the Green Paper, we are reforming Access to Work to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people into and on in work. We are committed to reducing waiting times for claims and we prioritise customers starting a job in four weeks. Nevertheless, Access to Work is demand-led and tailored to the needs of each customer. We are continuing to streamline delivery practices and have increased the number of staff processing claims. Since May 2024, 118 additional staff have been redeployed to support Access to Work.

Communities and Local Government, what support is available to leaseholders to meet the costs of remediating non-cladding related fire safety defects (a) of fire doors and (b) in general.

Qualifying leaseholders are protected from the costs of non-cladding defects, with the maximum amount that can be charged capped at £15,000 in Greater London (or £10,000 elsewhere in England). In certain circumstances that cap may be zero, such as when the landlord is (or is associated with) the developer. Regarding Fire doors specifically, those which have been incorrectly installed, or which have degraded prematurely may meet the definition of a non-cladding relevant defect and the cost of replacing them will be covered by the leaseholder protections. Fire doors need to be replaced due to wear and tear, however, are not covered by the leaseholder protections and costs can be passed to leaseholders via their service charge.

What recourse is available in situations where an employment tribunal award has been made but cannot be enforced because the company is no longer trading and has not gone into formal insolvency.

In the absence of any formal insolvency proceedings, the Redundancy Payment Service, which is part of the Insolvency Service, can pay redundancy pay awarded by the Employment Tribunal to a former employee.It is unable to consider payment of any other elements that may have been awarded, such as arrears of wages, holiday pay, compensatory notice pay or compensation for unfair dismissal.

Communities and Local Government, when the (a) results of the Remediation Programme Insurance Survey and (b) Government response to that survey will be published.

The Remediation Programme Insurance Survey closed on 31 July. We are using the data collected to test the feasibility and scope of any future possible government intervention to reduce high insurance bills for some leaseholders while their building undergoes remediation for fire related defects. Due to the commercial sensitivity of the data, we will not be making the results public.

What options her Department is considering to reduce fatalities involving young drivers through the Road Safety Strategy; and when that strategy will be published.

The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies. More details will be set out in due course. We absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads and continue to tackle this through our THINK! campaign. We are considering measures to address this and protect young drivers, as part of our upcoming strategy for road safety - the first in over a decade.

What her planned timetable is for the review of the child maintenance calculation.

The Government is conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose. This includes updating the underlying research and considering how to ensure the calculation reflects current and future societal trends. Options for proposed reforms are currently being considered. Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation will be subject to an extensive public consultation, which we are planning to publish late in 2025, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny in the course of 2026.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential benefits of permitting (a) homeowners, (b) renters and (c) small businesses to install sub-1kW grid-tied solar systems without requiring prior approval from energy companies.

In line with the Government’s commitment to unleash a rooftop revolution, households and businesses are permitted to connect small-scale generation (3.68kW or less) to the grid without prior approval from their Distribution Network Operator (DNO). They must notify the DNO of the installation within 28 days of commissioning. In its consultation on the end-to-end review of connections [1], Ofgem has proposed requiring all DNOs to review the 3.68kW threshold. In the recent Solar Roadmap, the Government also committed to conducting a safety study to unlock opportunities of ‘plug-in solar’, where small solar systems are plugged directly into household power sockets. Connections end-to-end review of the regulatory framework | Ofgem

What recent discussions he has had with Ofgem on ensuring that consumers are treated fairly in relation to historic overpayments to energy network operators; and whether he has considered options for returning any such overpayments to bill payers.

The unexpected inflation shock of 2022-23 increased equity value for network companies due to fixed-rate debt financing. Following a public consultation, Ofgem took action to adjust how it regulates network company investment, deliverables and returns, so this cannot happen again going forward. Ofgem considered reclaiming previous excess profits but decided against this to avoid raising the cost of capital and costs for consumers. Ofgem has made clear that it expects network companies to use any inflation benefit to accelerate network upgrades and find additional ways to support consumers struggling with bills.