Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ruth Cadbury this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 174 · this parliament
Of the estates that have registered claims with the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, how many relate to individuals who died aged over 18.
The delivery of compensation is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). IBCA publishes fortnightly statistics on their website, detailing those who have registered their intent to claim with the service and the progress in deliverin...
What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the existing rights for individuals holding British Overseas Citizen status.
British Overseas Citizenship (BOC) is a form of British nationality defined in the British Nationality Act 1981. Those who hold BOC status are British nationals and are entitled to hold a British passport and to receive consular assistance overseas.BOCs d...
What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of reviewing the taxation paid by employers when they hire additional (a) staff under the age of 21 and (b) other staff.
Businesses are able to claim employer National Insurance Contribution reliefs including those for under-21s and under-25 apprentices on earnings up to £50,270. These reliefs are forecast to be worth around £2.5 billion in 2025/26. The government is committed to providing young people with the support they need to earn or learn. At the last Budget, we committed more than £1.5 billion to back young people through the Youth Guarantee and invest additional funding in the Growth and Skills Levy. We recently went further, announcing around £1 billion more to help unlock up to 200,000 job and apprenticeship opportunities for young people.
What steps his Department is taking to support hospitality businesses with the cost of hiring additional staff.
The Government recognises the pressures facing the hospitality sector and that’s why we have introduced targeted support measures to help ease these pressures.We have protected the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to employer NICs by more than doubling the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. That means more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities have either gained or have seen no change this tax year.Businesses are also able to claim employer NICs reliefs including those for under-21s and under-25 apprentices. Employers do not pay employer NICs on earnings up to £50,270 for employees under 21, or for apprentices under the age of 25.
With reference to the report entitled Walking and Cycling Index: UK, published by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust on 17 March 2026, what steps she is taking to support councils to lower speed limits.
Local authorities are responsible for managing the roads under their jurisdiction, drawing on their knowledge of local conditions and the needs of their communities. This includes the power to set local speed limits. Authorities may introduce 20mph limits in areas where people and traffic mix, such as outside schools, and they may also apply enforceable part‑time 20mph limits during specific periods, including school drop‑off and pick‑up times. Authorities will have our full backing when implementing measures that respond to the concerns of local people. As set out in the Road Safety Strategy the Government will be reviewing and updating its guidance, including ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’ and the ‘guidance on the use of speed and red‑light cameras’, to further support local authorities in making well‑informed decisions about managing speed on their networks.
With reference to the report entitled Walking and Cycling Index: UK, published by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust on 17 March 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential economic benefits of increased investment in walking, wheeling and cycling facilities; and if she will make a statement.
Active Travel England published research on the benefits of active travel investment in February this year. This research can be viewed at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluating-the-impact-of-active-travel-investment.
When his department plans to answer the named day written questions, A.) UIN 109563, B.) UIN 109560 C.) UIN 109563 tabled in my name on the 29th January.
A response has been issued here and here.
What steps her Department is taking to provide financial support to house boat dwellers impacted by the cost of red diesel fuel.
Certain uses, such as non-propulsion use by private pleasure craft, retained the entitlement access to use red diesel after it was withdrawn from most sectors in 2022. In contrast to full duty diesel, taxed at 52.95 pence per litre (ppl), red diesel currently incurs a duty of 10.18 pence per litre. At Budget 2025, the Government extended the temporary 5p fuel duty cut alongside extending the proportionate percentage cut for rebated fuels, which includes red diesel. This maintains the red diesel rate at the levels set in March 2022 at 10.18 peppl until the end of August 2026, with rates then gradually returning to March 2022 levels by March 2027, an increase of less than 1 ppl. The planned inflation increase for 2026-27 has also been cancelled. As the Chancellor has set out, the Government will keep fuel duty under review.
What assessment her Department has made of the financial impact of maternity leave on the (a) amount of additional debt accrued on and (b) length of time to repay the debt for student finance loans.
The department and the Student Loan Company do not hold information on the amount of additional money accrued by women while on maternity leave.Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold. Borrowers earning under the repayment threshold, including while on statutory maternity leave, are not required to make repayments, however, interest will continue to accrue. When borrowers are on maternity leave, and earnings are below the earnings threshold, interest, across both plan 2 and plan 5, is applied at the Retail Price Index only.Any outstanding loan, including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze announced at the 2025 Budget.
What data the Student Loans Company holds on the amount of additional money accrued by women while on maternity leave.
The department and the Student Loan Company do not hold information on the amount of additional money accrued by women while on maternity leave.Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold. Borrowers earning under the repayment threshold, including while on statutory maternity leave, are not required to make repayments, however, interest will continue to accrue. When borrowers are on maternity leave, and earnings are below the earnings threshold, interest, across both plan 2 and plan 5, is applied at the Retail Price Index only.Any outstanding loan, including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze announced at the 2025 Budget.
When her Department plans to publish their response to the Extending the Right to Work Scheme consultation.
The Government intends to publish the response to the 'Consultation on the prevention of illegal working: Extending the Right to Work Scheme to other working arrangements' alongside updated guidance and statutory codes of practice in June. Officials will continue to discuss the responses and the updated guidance with stakeholders in advance of June to support business preparations.
Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the average waiting for the Building Safety Regulator to approve the remediation of residential flats in London.
The monthly Building Control Approval Application dataset January 2026 showed that the average approval timeframe for remediation projects in London was 30 weeks.We recognise that processing times need to improve, and we will be bringing forward a Building Safety Regulator remediation improvement plan in the coming weeks detailing how we intend to work with the sector to achieve improvements.
What the current average processing time is for Mandatory Reconsiderations for (a) Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children and (b) other disability‑related benefits.
Disability Living AllowanceFrom April 2025 to January 2026, the average actual clearance time for Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) for Disability Living Allowance for children was 121.7 working days.We have approved overtime and reallocated decision makers to clear our outstanding Disability Living Allowance Child MR cases more quickly. This will help us to reduce our clearance times. Attendance AllowanceFrom April 2025 to January 2026, the average actual clearance time for Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) for Attendance Allowance was 29.4 working days. Personal Independence Payment PIP MR clearance times are published at Personal Independence Payment statistics - GOV.UK. They can be found by accessing the latest release and opening the excel tables. Tables 4A – 4Biii contain information on PIP MR median clearance times. Employment and Support AllowanceESA Work Capability Assessment MR clearance times are available on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. They can be found by going through “ESA Work Capability Assessments”, “Mandatory Reconsideration – Clearances” “Table 4 – Median Clearance Times by Date of Decision”.
Whether he is taking steps to help decrease the amount of time to assess Mandatory Reconsiderations for Disability Living Allowance for children.
Disability Living AllowanceFrom April 2025 to January 2026, the average actual clearance time for Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) for Disability Living Allowance for children was 121.7 working days.We have approved overtime and reallocated decision makers to clear our outstanding Disability Living Allowance Child MR cases more quickly. This will help us to reduce our clearance times. Attendance AllowanceFrom April 2025 to January 2026, the average actual clearance time for Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) for Attendance Allowance was 29.4 working days. Personal Independence Payment PIP MR clearance times are published at Personal Independence Payment statistics - GOV.UK. They can be found by accessing the latest release and opening the excel tables. Tables 4A – 4Biii contain information on PIP MR median clearance times. Employment and Support AllowanceESA Work Capability Assessment MR clearance times are available on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. They can be found by going through “ESA Work Capability Assessments”, “Mandatory Reconsideration – Clearances” “Table 4 – Median Clearance Times by Date of Decision”.
Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is taking steps to increase staffing capacity at the Building Safety Regulator.
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has conducted a recent recruitment campaign to scale up its regulatory capacity.
What steps he is taking to improve the a) diagnosis and b) treatment of Brain tumours among young adults in West London.
The Department recognises that there are currently limited treatment options available for people who have been diagnosed with brain tumours.The National Cancer Plan, published on 4 February 2026, complements the 10-Year Health Plan and sets out how the National Health Service will improve outcomes for all cancer patients in England including those with brain tumours.The plan included a commitment to reduce the number of rare cancers, including brain tumours, being diagnosed in emergency settings. Brain cancers cannot be staged like other cancers and are subsequently not included in current early diagnosis measures. The NHS in England will improve on this system by regularly publishing early diagnosis data for brain tumours, incentivising systems to focus on these cancers.Patients with rare cancers will also benefit from a move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams, that cover multiple providers. This will allow them to benefit from the input of specialist centres and so access to the best evidence-based care.In January 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) announced increased investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children, and their families, who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer.Since the launch of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce on 4 February 2025, the taskforce has been exploring opportunities for clinical and non-clinical improvement across a range of areas. These include data, early detection and diagnosis, patient experience, genomic testing and treatment, and research and innovation, which includes access to clinical trials. Recommendations from the taskforce were included in the National Cancer Plan.
If his Department will continue to respond to constituency casework inquires from hon. Members in writing.
Where a complaint is raised by an MP, it is referred to the DWP Complaints Team who will investigate the complaint and aim to resolve it within 15 working days. If the matter is complex and will take longer than 15 days, the complaints resolution manager will keep the MP updated and tell them when they can expect a response. Upon completion of the investigation, a full written response will be issued to the MP via their designated Parliament.uk secure email address. In terms of dealing with matters quickly, it may be possible with MP agreement to do a telephone resolution and this can be followed up with a written response if requested.
Whether she plans he has to introduce legislation to block third parties from booking driving tests.
The Secretary of State for Transport announced on 12 November 2025 significant changes to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) driving test booking system following a public consultation. These changes are being introduced incrementally during the Spring.DVSA announced on 3 February that the first change, which will limit the number of times a test can be moved or swapped, will be introduced on 31 March. Further changes will be brought in later in the Spring. This will include allowing only the learner driver to book a test, at which point approved driving instructors and businesses will no longer have access to the booking system.These changes are designed to prevent learner drivers being exploited by people who book up tests and sell them at inflated prices. A full impact assessment of the proposed measures has been carried out and reviewed by the Better Regulation Unit. This assessment will be published once the statutory instrument amending the legislation has been laid before Parliament.
How many qualified driving test examiners were available to carry out tests in (a) September, (b) October, (c) November and (d) December 2025.
The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency were available to carry out practical car driving tests in September, October, November and December 2025. MonthNo of FTE DEs available to carry out practical driving testsSeptember 20251,464October 20251,485November 20251,539December 20251,542
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Israeli counterpart on the future of the Ibrahimi Mosque.
The UK strongly condemns the Israeli Security Cabinet's decision of 8 February to expand Israeli control over the West Bank. The major changes to land, enforcement, and administrative powers proposed in the West Bank will harm efforts to advance peace and stability. The UK recognises the significance of the Ibrahimi Mosque/Cave of the Patriarchs for the faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It is important that Israel respects the arrangements regarding the holy sites in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and avoids taking actions contrary to those arrangements, or the wider interests of peace and stability. We call on Israel to reverse these decisions immediately.