Written questions by Naish.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the Child Maintenance Service provides proof, if requested, of calculations of collection fees.

The Department is committed to ensuring transparency in the operation of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS). The CMS provides two service types: Direct Pay, where parents arrange payments between themselves, and Collect and Pay, where the CMS calculates the liability and manages the transfer of funds. Collection fees only apply to the Collect and Pay service. A fee of 20% is added to what the paying parent needs to pay, while 4% is deducted from maintenance paid to receiving parents. For cases on the Collect and Pay service, details of what collection fees apply and how they are calculated are included in notifications sent to customers whenever there is a change to their child maintenance calculation. Customers can also view additional information about their payments and child maintenance calculation by accessing their online Child Maintenance account.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of publishing a national strategy for (a) palliative and (b) end of life care.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the hon. member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life and will enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan.

What steps he is taking to ensure that hospice contracts reflect the (a) cost of the services they provide and (b) needs of their local populations.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning palliative care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and a service specification.The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England, due to be published in Spring 2026. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025. Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.   St Michael’s Hospice in Hereford is receiving £667,020 from this funding. We are also committing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing funding for the specialist (a) care, (b) advice and (c) assessment provided by hospices.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning palliative care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and a service specification.The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England, due to be published in Spring 2026. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025. Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.   St Michael’s Hospice in Hereford is receiving £667,020 from this funding. We are also committing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients.

When he his planned timetable is for publication of the Government’s plan for implementing mandatory transition plan disclosure for in-scope companies.

The government consultation seeking views on how to implement transition plan requirements has now closed. We are reviewing responses and will respond in due course. Sustainable finance is a key priority for the government and is one of the growth pillars for the financial services sector in the Industrial Strategy. According to analysis by the CBI, the net zero sector is growing three times faster than the overall UK economy. Transition planning can help businesses and investors identify and seize the economy-wide opportunities of the net zero transition, catalysing investment across the whole economy to create jobs, boost exports and drive economic growth.

Whether transition plans will be integrated within the UK’s Sustainability Reporting Standards framework.

The government consultation seeking views on how to implement transition plan requirements has now closed. We are reviewing responses and will respond in due course. Sustainable finance is a key priority for the government and is one of the growth pillars for the financial services sector in the Industrial Strategy. According to analysis by the CBI, the net zero sector is growing three times faster than the overall UK economy. Transition planning can help businesses and investors identify and seize the economy-wide opportunities of the net zero transition, catalysing investment across the whole economy to create jobs, boost exports and drive economic growth.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that transition plan requirements to clean energy are (a) proportionate and (b) flexible for SMEs.

The government consultation seeking views on how to implement transition plan requirements has now closed. We are reviewing responses and will respond in due course. Sustainable finance is a key priority for the government and is one of the growth pillars for the financial services sector in the Industrial Strategy. According to analysis by the CBI, the net zero sector is growing three times faster than the overall UK economy. Transition planning can help businesses and investors identify and seize the economy-wide opportunities of the net zero transition, catalysing investment across the whole economy to create jobs, boost exports and drive economic growth.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of aligning UK transition plan requirements with international sustainability standards.

The government consultation seeking views on how to implement transition plan requirements has now closed. We are reviewing responses and will respond in due course. Sustainable finance is a key priority for the government and is one of the growth pillars for the financial services sector in the Industrial Strategy. According to analysis by the CBI, the net zero sector is growing three times faster than the overall UK economy. Transition planning can help businesses and investors identify and seize the economy-wide opportunities of the net zero transition, catalysing investment across the whole economy to create jobs, boost exports and drive economic growth.

What assessment he has made of the potential for transition plan disclosure to help promote private investment into the UK’s net zero transition.

The government consultation seeking views on how to implement transition plan requirements has now closed. We are reviewing responses and will respond in due course. Sustainable finance is a key priority for the government and is one of the growth pillars for the financial services sector in the Industrial Strategy. According to analysis by the CBI, the net zero sector is growing three times faster than the overall UK economy. Transition planning can help businesses and investors identify and seize the economy-wide opportunities of the net zero transition, catalysing investment across the whole economy to create jobs, boost exports and drive economic growth.

If he will take steps to establish a clear (a) pathway and (b) timetable for transition plan disclosure to become mandatory for large UK companies.

The government consultation seeking views on how to implement transition plan requirements has now closed. We are reviewing responses and will respond in due course. Sustainable finance is a key priority for the government and is one of the growth pillars for the financial services sector in the Industrial Strategy. According to analysis by the CBI, the net zero sector is growing three times faster than the overall UK economy. Transition planning can help businesses and investors identify and seize the economy-wide opportunities of the net zero transition, catalysing investment across the whole economy to create jobs, boost exports and drive economic growth.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of funding provided to nurseries to deliver the extended free childcare hours without financial shortfall.

It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, improving the life chances for every child and the work choices for every parent.In the 2025/26 financial year alone, the department has provided over £8 billion for the early years entitlements, increasing to over £9 billion in 2026/27.The department has announced the largest ever increase to early years pupil premium since its introduction and have delivered a significant tranche of supplementary funding of £75 million through the early years expansion grant.The department wants to ensure the sector is financially sustainable and confident as it continues to deliver the entitlements and high quality early years provision going forward.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK will contribute £1 billion to the Eighth Replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 September 2025 to Questions 72852 and 72853.

What steps her Department are taking to help ensure that national HGV operators hold the correct license.

There is a robust operator licensing system administered by independent Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain who act as gatekeepers to the industry. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) supports this process by providing compliance and enforcement information, both as part of gatekeeper checks and in relation to existing operators. Traffic Commissioners have the authority to take regulatory action against licence holders, including suspending or revoking licences, if it is found that an operator does not hold the correct licence type or fails to meet the required standards. DVSA carry out a number of enforcement interventions to ensure heavy goods vehicle operators hold the correct licences. Specific sanctions relating to no or incorrect operator licenses include: Impounding activity: DVSA impounded 45 vehicles in 2024/25 and 18 year to date, this is for heavy goods vehicles (or passenger carrying vehicles) being used without an operator’s licence Prosecutions: DVSA successfully prosecuted 31 operator licence offences in 24/25 with 17 years to date. These figures are for cases that have resulted in court. DVSA is continuing to invest in new technology to support enforcement activities and deliver more effective and efficient compliance checks. This includes using vehicle technology to provide information, without having to stop the vehicle.

What enforcement measures her Department has to ensure heavy goods vehicles operators hold the correct license; and how many prosecutions have been brought in the last three years for operators that did not.

There is a robust operator licensing system administered by independent Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain who act as gatekeepers to the industry. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) supports this process by providing compliance and enforcement information, both as part of gatekeeper checks and in relation to existing operators. Traffic Commissioners have the authority to take regulatory action against licence holders, including suspending or revoking licences, if it is found that an operator does not hold the correct licence type or fails to meet the required standards. DVSA carry out a number of enforcement interventions to ensure heavy goods vehicle operators hold the correct licences. Specific sanctions relating to no or incorrect operator licenses include: Impounding activity: DVSA impounded 45 vehicles in 2024/25 and 18 year to date, this is for heavy goods vehicles (or passenger carrying vehicles) being used without an operator’s licence Prosecutions: DVSA successfully prosecuted 31 operator licence offences in 24/25 with 17 years to date. These figures are for cases that have resulted in court. DVSA is continuing to invest in new technology to support enforcement activities and deliver more effective and efficient compliance checks. This includes using vehicle technology to provide information, without having to stop the vehicle.

What resources her Department has allocated to the enforcement of heavy goods vehicle operator licensing standards; and what plans her Department has to strengthen enforcement in this area.

There is a robust operator licensing system administered by independent Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain who act as gatekeepers to the industry. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) supports this process by providing compliance and enforcement information, both as part of gatekeeper checks and in relation to existing operators. Traffic Commissioners have the authority to take regulatory action against licence holders, including suspending or revoking licences, if it is found that an operator does not hold the correct licence type or fails to meet the required standards. DVSA carry out a number of enforcement interventions to ensure heavy goods vehicle operators hold the correct licences. Specific sanctions relating to no or incorrect operator licenses include: Impounding activity: DVSA impounded 45 vehicles in 2024/25 and 18 year to date, this is for heavy goods vehicles (or passenger carrying vehicles) being used without an operator’s licence Prosecutions: DVSA successfully prosecuted 31 operator licence offences in 24/25 with 17 years to date. These figures are for cases that have resulted in court. DVSA is continuing to invest in new technology to support enforcement activities and deliver more effective and efficient compliance checks. This includes using vehicle technology to provide information, without having to stop the vehicle.

With reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution in response to the question from the Hon. Member for Rushcliffe of 5 February 2025, Official report, column 751, what progress he has made on addressing the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report on sodium valproate and pelvic mesh; and what steps he will need to take before implementation of the report's recommendations can commence.

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.

Whether his Department has allocated funding for the Government response to the Hughes Report.

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.

If he will consider how people with life-long disabilities caused by receiving sodium valproate in utero will be affected by welfare reforms when planning those reforms.

In our Pathways to Work Green Paper, we set out plans to remove the WCA and move to using the PIP assessment as the single assessment for additional financial support for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions in England and Wales. To ensure that PIP and the PIP assessment are fair and fit for the future, we have launched the Timms Review. The Review will look at PIP, the assessment criteria, and the wider role the assessment could play in providing access to the right support at the right level. To ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work, the Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts. It will be for the Review’s leadership group – building from the Terms of Reference – to set its strategic direction, priorities and workplan. It will also oversee a programme of participation and engagement that brings together the full range of views and voices. PIP assessments and Work Capability Assessments are not medical consultations and do not require Healthcare Professionals (HP) to diagnose conditions or recommend treatment. Instead, they are functional assessments designed to evaluate how an individual’s health conditions or impairments - including those caused by receiving sodium valproate in utero - affect their ability to carry out daily living activities and/or their capability for work HPs conducting assessments are trained specialists in disability analysis. Their focus is on understanding the functional impact of a claimant’s condition, rather than its clinical diagnosis. All HPs receive specific training on assessing the effects of physical and mental health conditions.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to improve sanction processes for private parking companies that repeatedly (a) generate upheld complaints and (b) lose appeals.

The Government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector.The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the Government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance on the operation and management of private parking facilities.My department recently consulted on the new Code and an accompanying compliance framework for private parking companies. As part of this framework, we are developing an independent Certification Scheme to audit the parking industry’s compliance with the new Code. The scheme will operate as a third-party certification process, whereby only organisations accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service as Conformity Assessment Bodies will be able to certify private parking companies.Parking operators who fail to comply with the Code risk losing access to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data. This data includes information on vehicle keepers, so any company blocked from accessing it would be unable to pursue parking charges.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of new Energy Performance Certificate regulations on (a) holiday lets and (b) the tourism sector.

Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector, including proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C or equivalent by 2030. We have sought views on whether short-term lets should be included in the scope of our changes, to help ensure a consistent standard across all private rented properties. As outlined in the consultation government has proposed to maintain a range of exemptions available to landlords to ensure that required investment is fair and proportionate. Government remains committed to taking an evidence-based approach and will consider the balance between supporting tourism and reaching Net Zero goals. A government response to the consultation will be published in due course.