Written questions by Turner.

How many and what proportion of (a) working-age, (b) 18-24 year olds and (c) all Personal Independence Payment recipients that are in work scored less than four points in all daily living activities by (i) local authority, (ii) parliamentary constituency and (iii) region.

The information requested is provided in the excel workbook attached. A content of the tables provided in the attached workbook is below: 1aiVolume and Proportion of Working Aged Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Local Authority (March 2024)1aiiVolume and Proportion of Working Aged Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Parliamentary Constituency (March 2024)1aiiiVolume and Proportion of Working Aged Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Region (March 2024)1biVolume and Proportion of 18 - 24 Year Old Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Local Authority (March 2024)1biiVolume and Proportion of 18 - 24 Year Old Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Parliamentary Constituency (March 2024)1biiiVolume and Proportion of 18 - 24 Year Old Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Region (March 2024)1ciVolume and Proportion of All Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Local Authority (March 2024)1ciiVolume and Proportion of All Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Parliamentary Constituency (March 2024)1ciiiVolume and Proportion of All Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Region (March 2024)2aiVolume and Proportion of Working Aged Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Local Authority (March 2024)2aiiVolume and Proportion of Working Aged Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Parliamentary Constituency (March 2024)2aiiiVolume and Proportion of Working Aged Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Region (March 2024)2biVolume and Proportion of 18 - 24 Year Old Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Local Authority (March 2024)2biiVolume and Proportion of 18 - 24 Year Old Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Parliamentary Constituency (March 2024)2biiiVolume and Proportion of 18 - 24 Year Old Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Region (March 2024)2ciVolume and Proportion of All Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Local Authority (March 2024)2ciiVolume and Proportion of All Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Parliamentary Constituency (March 2024)2ciiiVolume and Proportion of All Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Region (March 2024) The number of people currently on PIP who did not score 4 points in one category in their last assessment should not be equated with the number who are likely to lose PIP in future. It’s important to make a clear distinction between the two, not least because we don’t want constituents to be unnecessarily fearful about their situation, when we understand many are already anxious. Someone who did not score 4 points in an activity in a previous assessment may well score 4 points in a future assessment as conditions change over time. After taking account of behavioural changes, the OBR predicts that 9 in 10 of those on PIP daily living at the point any changes come in will still be receiving PIP by the end of the decade. No one will lose access to PIP immediately - and most people will not lose access at all. Our intention is that changes will start to come into effect from November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval. After that date, no one will lose PIP without first being reassessed at their award review. The average award review period is about three years. At the award review, claimants will be considered by a trained assessor or healthcare professional and assessed on individual needs and circumstances. We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including ensuring health and care needs are met. We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment to make it fair and fit for purpose, which I am leading. We are bringing together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this. We will provide further details as plans progress. Even with these reforms, the overall number of people on PIP and DLA is expected to rise by 750,000 by the end of this parliament and spending will rise from £23bn in 24/25 to £31bn in 29/30. No one over state pension age at the time any changes come in will be affected. Notes:- The volumes provided have been rounded to the nearest 10.- HMRC data is used to determine whether a claimant was in employment. HMRC data covers up to the end of the tax year 2023/24, therefore March 2024 has been provided as the latest data available.- Self-employment data from the financial year 2023/24 is not available until the end of the 2024/25 financial year, so self-employment data for the financial year 2022/23 has been used as a proxy for 2023/24 instead.- People without any employment record in the HMRC data, as well as those who have been confirmed to not be in employment in the data, have been considered not employed.- The data provided includes both normal rules and special rules for end of life claimants.- The data provided excludes Scottish and Northern Irish claimants, as these claimants do not fall under DWP policy ownership.

How many and what proportion of (a) working-age, (b) 18 to 24 year old and (c) all Personal Independence Payment recipients are in work by (i) local authority, (ii) parliamentary constituency and (iii) region.

The information requested is provided in the excel workbook attached. A content of the tables provided in the attached workbook is below: 1aiVolume and Proportion of Working Aged Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Local Authority (March 2024)1aiiVolume and Proportion of Working Aged Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Parliamentary Constituency (March 2024)1aiiiVolume and Proportion of Working Aged Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Region (March 2024)1biVolume and Proportion of 18 - 24 Year Old Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Local Authority (March 2024)1biiVolume and Proportion of 18 - 24 Year Old Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Parliamentary Constituency (March 2024)1biiiVolume and Proportion of 18 - 24 Year Old Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Region (March 2024)1ciVolume and Proportion of All Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Local Authority (March 2024)1ciiVolume and Proportion of All Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Parliamentary Constituency (March 2024)1ciiiVolume and Proportion of All Personal Independence Payment Claimants by Employment Status and Region (March 2024)2aiVolume and Proportion of Working Aged Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Local Authority (March 2024)2aiiVolume and Proportion of Working Aged Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Parliamentary Constituency (March 2024)2aiiiVolume and Proportion of Working Aged Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Region (March 2024)2biVolume and Proportion of 18 - 24 Year Old Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Local Authority (March 2024)2biiVolume and Proportion of 18 - 24 Year Old Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Parliamentary Constituency (March 2024)2biiiVolume and Proportion of 18 - 24 Year Old Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Region (March 2024)2ciVolume and Proportion of All Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Local Authority (March 2024)2ciiVolume and Proportion of All Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Parliamentary Constituency (March 2024)2ciiiVolume and Proportion of All Personal Independence Payment Claimants in Employment With Fewer Than 4 Points in All Daily Living Activities by Region (March 2024) The number of people currently on PIP who did not score 4 points in one category in their last assessment should not be equated with the number who are likely to lose PIP in future. It’s important to make a clear distinction between the two, not least because we don’t want constituents to be unnecessarily fearful about their situation, when we understand many are already anxious. Someone who did not score 4 points in an activity in a previous assessment may well score 4 points in a future assessment as conditions change over time. After taking account of behavioural changes, the OBR predicts that 9 in 10 of those on PIP daily living at the point any changes come in will still be receiving PIP by the end of the decade. No one will lose access to PIP immediately - and most people will not lose access at all. Our intention is that changes will start to come into effect from November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval. After that date, no one will lose PIP without first being reassessed at their award review. The average award review period is about three years. At the award review, claimants will be considered by a trained assessor or healthcare professional and assessed on individual needs and circumstances. We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including ensuring health and care needs are met. We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment to make it fair and fit for purpose, which I am leading. We are bringing together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this. We will provide further details as plans progress. Even with these reforms, the overall number of people on PIP and DLA is expected to rise by 750,000 by the end of this parliament and spending will rise from £23bn in 24/25 to £31bn in 29/30. No one over state pension age at the time any changes come in will be affected. Notes:- The volumes provided have been rounded to the nearest 10.- HMRC data is used to determine whether a claimant was in employment. HMRC data covers up to the end of the tax year 2023/24, therefore March 2024 has been provided as the latest data available.- Self-employment data from the financial year 2023/24 is not available until the end of the 2024/25 financial year, so self-employment data for the financial year 2022/23 has been used as a proxy for 2023/24 instead.- People without any employment record in the HMRC data, as well as those who have been confirmed to not be in employment in the data, have been considered not employed.- The data provided includes both normal rules and special rules for end of life claimants.- The data provided excludes Scottish and Northern Irish claimants, as these claimants do not fall under DWP policy ownership.

What the average processing time was for claims for Orchestra Tax Relief in each of the last five years.

HMRC balances the need to ensure that payments for tax reliefs are processed as quickly as possible with the need to ensure that they are claimed only by those who are eligible to do so. All claims for Orchestra Tax Relief are risk assessed on receipt. Where a claim is received and identified as requiring further review, HMRC may open an enquiry and ask for additional information.The information provided states the average number of days to process a claim, which includes payment of the claim or making a decision to ask for further information or open an enquiry.YearAverage Days to Process or Open an Enquiry24/253123/242822/232821/2235

With reference to paragraph 5.83 of the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, how much funding has been allocated to progress the next stage of Midlands Rail Hub West.

The Chancellor confirmed Midlands Rail Hub is a priority for the Government and £123m has been committed for the next phase of the Programme.

With reference to paragraph 5.83 of the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, CP 1336, whether Kings Norton station will be upgraded as part of the next stage of Midlands Rail Hub West.

The west scope of the Midlands Rail Hub programme includes bringing the island platforms back into use and bringing the footbridge up to modern accessibility standards at Kings Norton Station.

What sensitivity NHS BMI assessments allow for persons of mixed (a) South Asian and (b) non-South Asian heritage.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on the management of overweight and obesity. This specifies that a lower body mass index (BMI) threshold should be used as a practical measure of overweight and obesity for some adults from ethnic minority backgrounds, including South Asian, as they are prone to higher levels of abdominal fat and have an increased risk of developing certain health conditions at a lower BMI.

How many complaints have been made in the last five years to (a) Birmingham and Solihull ICB, (b) all ICBs and (c) NHS England that allege (i) failure to make reasonable adjustments and (ii) disability discrimination.

Information is not available in the format requested. The annual publication of data on written complaints in the National Health Service, last published in October 2024, does not specify the number of complaints made to either integrated care boards or NHS England that were about either failure to make reasonable adjustments or disability discrimination.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism for improving compliance with the Equality Act at CQC registered practices.

It is for individual organisations, including Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered practices, to comply with the Equality Act 2010, guidance on which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidanceA code of practice has been published to guide CQC registered providers on how to meet the statutory requirement for learning disability and autism training under the Health and Care Act 2022 which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oliver-mcgowan-code-of-practiceThe Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, otherwise known as Oliver’s Training, is the Government’s recommended training package.The CQC has a role in assessing the completion and effectiveness of training, which may include Oliver’s Training, in relation to Regulation 18: Staffing of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Where an inspection involves the assessment of staff training, the CQC assesses the impact of training on the lives, outcomes and experiences of autistic people and people with a learning disability. The CQC also assesses whether people’s care, treatment and support promotes equality, removes barriers or delays and protects their rights under the Equity in experiences and outcomes quality statement, which is available at the following link:https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-regulation/providers/assessment/single-assessment-framework/responsive/equity-experiences-outcomesAll assessments carried out through formal inspection activity are reported on and published on the CQC website.

Whether her Department is able to produce statistics on PIP recipients broken down by (a) Output Areas and (b) lower layer Super Output Areas.

Information on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants by different geographic breakdowns can be found on Stat Xplore. You can use the ‘PIP Cases with Entitlement from 2019’ dataset and the ‘Geography’ filter to narrow down to the breakdowns you require. For further guidance on how to use Stat Xplore, please see the User Guide here.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to progress Sustainable Development Goal 4.

With some 250 million children, and growing, out of school globally, it is very unlikely that Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) will be met by 2030. The UK is working with the humanitarian system, leveraging multilateral institutions' funding, and strategically deploying scarce resources to improve access to quality education through stronger systems.For example, in November 2024, the UK provided £14 million of earmarked support for Sudanese refugees through Education Cannot Wait. This funding supports 200,000 vulnerable displaced children with education interventions in Sudan and reaches Sudanese refugee populations in Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan and Uganda.With a global annual financing gap of $97 billion to deliver SDG4, the UK is working to unlock additional education finance through mechanisms such as the innovative International Finance Facility for Education, which will unlock up to $1 billion in additional and affordable education finance for lower middle-income country governments, providing a seven-fold return on our investment.

If he will take steps to raise public awareness of dyspraxia.

The Government is committed to creating a more inclusive society where neurodiverse people, including those with dyspraxia, are supported to thrive.Dyspraxia, also known as developmental co-ordination disorder or DCD, is a common disorder that affects movement and co-ordination. Information on dyspraxia assessments and treatment is available to the public on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia-in-adults/The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Department for Education on reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools as well as to ensure that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. The Government is also supporting earlier intervention for children with SEND through Mental Health Support Teams, as well as the Early Language Support for Every Child and the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programmes.

Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities are able to prevent new employees from joining the Local Government Pension Scheme.

It is unlawful for local authorities to prevent their new employees from joining the Local Government Pension Scheme. Local authorities are scheduled bodies, as defined by part 1 of Schedule 2 of the LGPS Regulations 2013, and scheduled bodies must offer the LGPS to directly employed staff.

With reference to her Department's press release entitled Over half a million more children to get free school meals, published on 4 June 2025, if she will make an estimate of how many additional children will be made eligible for free school meals from September 2026 in (a) the West Midlands, (b) the Birmingham local authority area and (c) the Birmingham Northfield constituency.

This government is determined to tackle child poverty and spread growth and opportunity to every family in every part of our country. We have now announced the biggest expansion of free school meal eligibility in England in a generation. We will give every child whose family is in receipt of Universal Credit the entitlement to free school meals (FSM) from September 2026. This means that over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds will become eligible for a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day. This will lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.Crucially, this will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back into parents’ pockets, supporting families with decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.Department for Work and Pensions data shows that 11,350 children in the Birmingham Northfield constituency will be eligible for FSM from September 2026. Following publication of the updated school census on 5 June, the department will publish further information on the numbers of children currently in receipt of means-tested FSM and the numbers of eligible children, by parliamentary constituency, in the coming weeks.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce the barriers for disabled people accessing cultural events.

The Government supports the Arts Councils of each UK nation and Ireland and the British Film Institute in launching All In, a free, UK wide arts access scheme. This scheme will help remove barriers for disabled, deaf and neurodivergent people in music venues, festivals, theatres, museums, galleries, libraries and more. It will introduce the UK and Ireland’s first set of industry standards to improve access to arts and culture as well as launch new digital tools to support accessible ticket booking. Work so far has included consultation with potential users, as well as feasibility studies to inform how the scheme can address access barriers faced by disabled audience members.The Office for Equality and Opportunity has also appointed David Stanley as Disability and Access Ambassador for arts and culture - to drive improvements in the accessibility and quality of services and facilities in the sector for disabled people, helping to ensure businesses are doing all they can to support disabled customers.We are continuing to support Arts Council England’s (ACE’s) Supporting Grassroots Music Fund (SGMF), which as well as aiming to bolster the grassroots music ecosystem, aims to promote inclusivity within the sector. For example, through support from the SGMF, a music venue in Bristol has become the first grassroots music venue in the country to secure an Attitude is Everything Gold Award, a widely-coveted Industry award, given only to those that show a significant and ongoing commitment to improving accessibility.

What proportion of Personal Independence Payment recipients are in work in (a) Birmingham Northfield constituency, (b) Birmingham local authority area and (c) the West Midlands.

For the proportion of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants who are in work by different geographic breakdowns, please see table 1 below. Table 1: the percentage of PIP claimants who are in work by different geographic breakdownsGeographyPercentage of PIP claimants in workBirmingham Northfield PC18Birmingham LA15West Midlands19 Source(s): PIP Administrative Data and HMRC data Notes:Figures are for March 2024 which is the latest employment data available.Figures only include claims made under normal rules and exclude claims made under Special Rules for End of Life (SREL).Figures only include claimants who are working age.Employment category includes self-employed as well as employees.Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

With reference to her spokesperson's comments in the Birmingham Mail article entitled The reason staff at a Birmingham school decided a last resort strike, published on 7 March 2025, whether she plans to make an Academy Order for the George Dixon Primary School in Birmingham.

High and rising standards are at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity so every child can achieve and thrive.An academy order for George Dixon Primary School in Birmingham was issued in June 2023 and remains in place. Departmental officials continue to work with the local authority on next steps. A request has been made by the school’s governing body to revoke the academy order, and a decision will be shared with them shortly.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 50727 on Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority: Standards, what proportion of the respondents to that paper survey selected (a) very good, (b) good, (c) average, (d) poor and (e) very poor in 2023-24.

Of the respondents to the paper survey in 2023-34, (a) 53.2% selected very good, (b) 31.0% selected good, (c) 10.0% selected average, (d) 3.3% poor and (e) 2.5% selected very poor.

What the (a) process and (b) timetable will be for recruiting a new Chief Executive of Network Rail.

The Network Rail Board via its Nomination and Remuneration Committee is responsible for the Chief Executive selection process. In line with the Network Rail Framework Agreement, the Secretary of State for Transport has the right to approve the Board’s suggested candidate for Chief Executive.The timetable for appointing a new Chief Executive will be confirmed once the Secretary of State has considered the recommendations of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

On what dates the HS2 ministerial taskforce has met since 25 October 2022.

The Ministerial Task Force for HS2 has met on the following dates since 25 October 2022: 1 November 202331 January 202422 October 202418 March 2025.

With reference to item 5.4.4 of the minutes of HS2 Limited's Board meeting of 25 September 2024, what the (a) membership and (b) remit is of the Tripartite Cooperation Board.

The Tripartite Cooperation Board (TCB) was established in 2014 following a memorandum of understanding signed between the DfT, NR and HS2 Ltd. The TCB brings together the senior executives from the Department, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, as sponsor for the programme, HS2 Ltd as delivery agent for the programme and Network Rail as owner and operator of the existing network. Its purpose is to provide strategic advice at the request of the Programme Senior Responsible Owner, Alan Over, or the Programme Board to ensure the successful integration of HS2 onto the conventional network in such a way that the whole network is enhanced. The members at this time are: Alan Over, Major Rail Projects Group DG, DfT - ChairAlex Hynes, Rail Services Group DG, DfTSir Andrew Haines, Chief Executive, Network Rail Chief ExecMark Wild, CEO, HS2 LtdRichard Goodman, Rail Reform and Strategy DG, DfT Clare Dixon, DfT – Secretariat.