Every parliamentary written question tabled by Mark Garnier this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 232 · this parliament
How many PIP assessment officers there were in each month since January 2025.
The information requested is not held in the format specified.However, while data on the monthly totals for average health professional (HP) full‑time equivalents (FTEs) working on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) contracts, and overall HP FTE leavers, is not currently published by the department, we will be sharing this information in a future statistical release.
How many PIP assessment officers left their role in each month since January 2025.
The information requested is not held in the format specified.However, while data on the monthly totals for average health professional (HP) full‑time equivalents (FTEs) working on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) contracts, and overall HP FTE leavers, is not currently published by the department, we will be sharing this information in a future statistical release.
What assessment she has made of the importance of appointing a Digital Markets Champion with experience and understanding of digital assets and distributed ledger technologies, to help position the UK as a global hub for digital finance and innovation.
Last July the government published the Wholesale Financial Markets Digital Strategy. The strategy announced that the government will appoint an industry expert as Wholesale Digital Markets Champion, who will provide leadership from, and for, the sector on wholesale market digitalisation.The government is working at pace to appoint a suitable candidate for the role, taking into account their backgrounds and previous experience, and will provide an update in due course.
What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that pension scheme communications are made more transparent and understandable for the general public.
Pension schemes are under legal obligations to provide key information to members. Schemes should ensure that all communications are accurate, clear, concise, relevant and in plain English.Simpler Annual Benefit Statements, introduced in 2022, make defined contribution automatic‑enrolment pension statements shorter and more consistent, helping members see what they’ve saved; what they might have at retirement; and what actions they can take. When launched, pensions dashboards will allow people to view their pensions, including State Pension, securely and in one place online. Dashboards will include clear contextual information alongside the values shown, supported by user testing, to ensure the information is easy to understand. Decision making about how to use pension assets to secure an income can be complex. The Guided Retirement provisions in the Pension Schemes Bill require trustees to provide information in plain and simple language to support informed member decision making. The Government intends to consult on the Guided Retirement communications journey, ensuring that communications are structured, accessible, and delivered at the right points to help savers understand both the default pension plan and the options available to them. The Government ensures everyone has access to free, impartial pensions guidance through the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS).
What steps the Department is taking to ensure that the recruitment process for the Digital Markets Champion includes interviewing candidates from a broad range of professional backgrounds, including those with experience in emerging technologies and digital assets.
Last July the government published the Wholesale Financial Markets Digital Strategy. The strategy announced that the government will appoint an industry expert as Wholesale Digital Markets Champion, who will provide leadership from, and for, the sector on wholesale market digitalisation.The government is working at pace to appoint a suitable candidate for the role, taking into account their backgrounds and previous experience, and will provide an update in due course.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to funding for physical education and sports on child obesity.
Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle that plays a role in tackling childhood obesity.Too many children and young people do not meet the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation of 60 minutes of daily physical activity. The department is taking action to ensure all children and young people have access to high quality PE, physical activity and sport.Good PE lessons are important in securing a solid foundation for leading active lives. That is why we are reforming the PE curriculum to support participation and development across all four key stages.We are setting up a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, which will bring together schools, grass-roots clubs, and sport national governing bodies, so children and young people get a range of opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity inside and outside of school.
What plans her Department has for improving provision of financial education as part of the adult education curriculum.
The essential skills entitlements, funded through the adult skills fund (ASF), support adults without a GCSE maths grade 4 or higher, or equivalent qualification, or are assessed at working below this level, to undertake a range of free courses including maths GCSEs and functional skills qualifications.As part of the ASF, Tailored Learning funding can also be used to fund provision supporting learners to address specific needs such as financial education.Currently, approximately 68% of the ASF is devolved to 12 strategic authorities and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the ASF in their local areas.The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF to meet the needs of their communities.Alongside, there is a range of apprenticeships available which provide training in occupationally specific financial knowledge and skills, for example, in payroll, investment or financial services-related roles. We also continue to fund apprentices to secure up to a L2 maths qualification as part of their apprenticeship.
How many people on the basic State Pension have inherited part of the additional State Pension from their deceased spouse or partner.
The Department does not hold published readily accessible data on the number of individuals in receipt of the Basic State Pension who have inherited part of the Additional State Pension from a deceased spouse or partner.
How many people receive the basic state pension and the additional state pension.
In Great Britain in 2025/26, around 8.1 million individuals were forecast to receive the basic State Pension (this is the State Pension under the pre-2016 system), with around 6.9 million of these individuals forecast to receive the Additional State Pension*. These estimates all refer to pensions administered by DWP for State Pensions accrued in Great Britain. *The Additional State Pension is an earnings-related element of the pre-2016 State Pension and could include Additional Pension, State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) and State Second Pension (S2P) elements. Source: Benefit Expenditure and Caseload Tables 2025
Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to expand the permitted development right for floating solar installations on reservoirs in England and Wales to allow the electricity generated by the floating solar projects to be exported to third parties.
Planning is a devolved matter within the competency of the Welsh Parliament. The government continues to keep permitted development rights in England under review.
Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to extend the permitted development right for floating solar installations to disused quarries and docks in England and Wales.
Planning is a devolved matter within the competency of the Welsh Parliament. The government continues to keep permitted development rights in England under review.
Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to extend permitted development rights for floating solar installations to on-farm reservoirs in England and Wales.
Planning is a devolved matter within the competency of the Welsh Parliament. The government continues to keep permitted development rights in England under review.
What steps he is taking to help ensure that the UK can attract private sector investment in nationally signification infrastructure projects.
The Department for Business and Trade is taking active steps to attract private sector investment into nationally significant infrastructure projects. Through the expanded Office for Investment, we provide enhanced relationship management for major and sovereign investors, supported by strengthened business development teams that work closely with delivery partners to originate and progress high-quality projects. Under the Government’s 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, the Strategic Investment Opportunities Unit within the OfI identifies and develops demand-led opportunities, aligning them with investor priorities. In partnership with NISTA, we promote priority infrastructure projects with strong commercial potential to suitable institutional investors, helping to unlock long-term capital at scale.
Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of Network Rail’s approach to the proposed redevelopment of London Liverpool Street Station on inward foreign direct investment.
The Office for Investment, a joint unit across DBT, HMT & No.10, promotes the UK as one of the world’s leading destinations for Foreign Direct Investment, supported by our strong business environment, highly skilled workforce and globally competitive sectors. FDI plays an important role in driving growth, innovation and jobs across the country. The OfI has not made a formal assessment of the potential impact of Network Rail’s approach to the proposed redevelopment of London Liverpool Street Station on inward foreign direct investment.
What steps her Department is taking to encourage private investors to help deliver the commercial structures used for (a) Liverpool Street Station and (b) other major rail infrastructure developments.
As set out in the Ten-Year Infrastructure Strategy, the Government is committed to increased private investment alongside public funding to transform the UK’s infrastructure.Officials are engaged with Network Rail and Platform4 - the government’s new property development company, on the emerging proposition for the potential redevelopment of Liverpool Street station.Government encourages Network Rail to secure third-party funding contributions to minimise the use of taxpayer funding and to demonstrate value for money.The Government is already taking action to deliver the infrastructure the country needs, including around railway sites, recognising the opportunities stations present for housing, retail, commercial and community assets, as well as transport hubs.In the future, Ministers have been clear that Great British Railways (GBR) will be set up to be a commercially agile organisation able to provide the integrated leadership of Britain's railway and long-term strategic framework that supports private sector investment.
What oversight her Department exercises over Network Rail’s commercial approach to major station redevelopments involving private capital.
My Department’s oversight of such propositions varies, depending on factors such as the conditions of any private capital contributions and impacts on the operation of the network.
Pursuant to the Answer on 8 December 2025 to Question 96643, whether she has any plans to require pensioners who receive both the basic state pension and the additional state pension as their only income to pay income tax.
As set out in my reply to Question 96643, the Chancellor has said that those whose only income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not have to pay income tax over this Parliament. At the Budget, the Government announced that it will achieve this by easing the administrative burden for pensioners so that they do not have to pay small amounts of tax via Simple Assessment from 2027/28. The Government will set out more detail in due course.
Pursuant to the Answer on 8 December 2025 to Question 96643, whether she has any plans to require pensioners who received the state pension as their only income and consequently inherit part of (a) the basic state pension, (b) the additional state pension and (c) the new state pension following the death of their spouse or civil partner to pay income tax.
As set out in my reply to Question 96643, the Chancellor has said that those whose only income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not have to pay income tax over this Parliament. At the Budget, the Government announced that it will achieve this by easing the administrative burden for pensioners so that they do not have to pay small amounts of tax via Simple Assessment from 2027/28. The Government will set out more detail in due course.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, when he will bring forward secondary legislation to implement the core elements of the Act.
The government has already made significant progress when it comes to commencing provisions in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024: On 24 July 2024, we brought into force provisions relating to rentcharge arrears, building safety legal costs and the work of professional insolvency practitioners.On 31 October 2024, we brought into force further building safety measures.On 31 January 2025, we commenced provisions to remove the two-year qualifying rule in relation to enfranchisement and lease extensions.On 3 March 2025, the right to manage provisions (expanding access, reforming its costs, and voting rights) came into force. The government recognises the considerable financial strain that rising service charges place on leaseholders and tenants. The level of service charge that leaseholders pay depends on many factors, including the terms of a lease and the age and condition of a building. By law, variable service charges must be reasonable. Overcharging through service charges is completely unacceptable. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal. On 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation, jointly with the Welsh Government, on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. The consultation included proposals to increase transparency over service charges and enhance access to redress through the relevant provisions in the Act. It also proposed new reforms the section 20 ‘major works’ procedure. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. It closed on 26 September 2025, and we are analysing responses with a view to bringing the relevant measures into force as quickly as possible. On 18 December 2025, the government launched a consultation on proposals to implement the Act’s new consumer protections for homeowners living on freehold estates. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 12 March 2026. We will look to bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. The Act also sets the method for calculating the price of a statutory lease extension or freehold acquisition, known as the valuation process. It removes the requirement for marriage value to be paid, caps the treatment of ground rents in the valuation calculation at 0.1% of the freehold value, and allows government to prescribe the rates used to calculate the enfranchisement premium. Valuation rates used to calculate the enfranchisement premium will be set by the Secretary of State in secondary legislation. We will consult on valuation rates and commence the relevant provisions as soon as possible. As per my Written Ministerial Statement of 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), primary legislation will be required to rectify a small number of specific flaws in the 2024 Act before the Act’s enfranchisement provisions are commenced.
Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the Government’s response to the consultation entitled ‘Modern leasehold: restricting ground rent for existing leases’ published on 9 November 2023.
I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 99005 on 5 January 2026.