Every parliamentary written question tabled by Siân Berry this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 141–160 of 398 · this parliament
Whether he plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of State Pension age changes on 1950s-born women living in Brighton Pavilion constituency.
All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age. Estimates can be made with ONS 2022 Census Data of how many women born in the 1950s were resident in each constituency in that year.
If she will make an assessment of the reasons for which stop and search for items related to protest is used much more frequently by some police forces than others.
The Public Order Act 2023 includes stop and search powers for police to search for and seize articles related to protest-related offences.The Home Office publishes statistics on use of stop and search powers, the latest are at: Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025 - GOV.UKWhile overall numbers are small, the figures show that protest related searches are more concentrated in the Metropolitan Police Service, Surrey and Sussex.The management of protests is an operational matter for the police. It is for chief constables and their officers to make decisions about the use of stop and search powers in response to local needs.
What recent changes there have been in funding for hospice services in (a) England, (b) the South East region and (c) Sussex.
In December 2024, we announced that we were providing £100 million of capital funding for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England. I am pleased to say that we can now confirm we are providing a further £25 million in capital funding for hospices to spend in 2025/26. From this additional £25 million of capital funding, hospices in the South East region will receive over £5 million. The Southern Hospice Group in Sussex, which is formed of St Barnabas House, Chestnut House, and Martlets, will receive £500,000. Sussex Beacon in Brighton will receive £88,920.We also recently announced that we are providing approximately £80 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices in England over the next three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients. Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice in Sussex and a number of other children’s hospices in the wider South East region, including Demelza Children’s Hospice, Shooting Star Children’s Hospice, Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice, Naomi House and Jacksplace Hospice, Helen and Douglas House, and Ellenor Hospice will all benefit from this funding.The Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) is taking steps to support the long-term sustainability of hospices in its area. This includes 10-year grant agreements for adult hospices, providing financial certainty and strengthening their ability to maintain services during a period of rising demand.The ICB is also funding a Sussex Hospice Alliance Programme Director to support collective planning, clinical integration, and workforce development. The ICB currently spends £13.3 million a year with hospices.The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. As part of the MSF, we will consider contracting and commissioning arrangements. We recognise that there is currently a mix of contracting models in the hospice sector. By supporting ICBs to commission more strategically, we can move away from grant and block contract models. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead.
Pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 92325 on Access to Work Programme, how many Access to Work awards have been (a) decided, (b) reduced at renewal, (c) increased at renewal and (d) removed at renewal.
A total of 20,852 Access to Work renewal awards have been decided since July 2024.The Department does not hold information on the number of awards that have been (a) reduced, (b) increased, or (c) removed at the point of renewal. Determining these figures would require a manual review of individual cases, which would result in a disproportionate cost to the Department. Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.
What has been the financial cost to his Department of litigation related to the WASPI campaign since December 2024.
Based on the information held, since December 2024, the recorded legal costs on litigations with WASPI including disbursements and VAT are £135,999.61.
When he expects the Health and Safety Executive to launch a public consultation as part of the statutory process for the potential renewal of the approval of glyphosate for use in Great Britain.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) expects to launch the statutory public consultation on the assessment of the renewal of the approval of glyphosate in Summer 2026. Further information can be found here Active substance renewal: glyphosate - HSE The consultation will be hosted on the HSE consultation website, and they will announce the start of the consultation via their e-bulletin service. In line with the regulations, the consultation will last for 60 days.
If he will make it his policy to make trauma-informed training mandatory for all criminal court staff by spring 2026.
We are rolling-out national trauma-informed training for HMCTS criminal court staff from spring 2026. Staff will be encouraged to undertake the training, particularly where their role involves regular interaction with witnesses and victims.
If she will take steps to ensure that police training on violence against women and girls includes training on technology-facilitated abuse.
The Home Office has already invested £13.1 million this year into the new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP). This funding includes an additional £2 million to deliver a comprehensive package of training enhancements across public protection. Through the NCVPP, we are working closely with the College of Policing to develop strengthened, specialist training for officers across all operational levels - frontline, specialist, and leadership. Grounded in academic research and behaviour change science, new training programmes will ensure that all officers are well equipped to investigate these crimes and provide support to victims. This includes the development of new modules to equip officers with the skills to investigate technology-facilitated and online harm.
With reference to the Freedom From Violence and Abuse Strategy, published 18 December 2025, if she will take steps to ensure that the expansion of electronic monitoring for perpetrators of violence against women and girls does not automatically link the perpetrator to their previous residence when this could potentially be the survivor’s home.
Probation practitioners follow robust safeguarding practices when considering the use of Electronic Monitoring (EM). Practitioners assess the suitability of an offender’s proposed address covering who resides there, any safeguarding concerns, and proximity to victims. They will not recommend EM where it could increase risk e.g. imposing a curfew to an address that puts the occupants in danger. Informed consent from the main occupier is required for a curfew requirement. Enquiries must be made with police and relevant safeguarding agencies to inform a risk assessment before an EM curfew condition is proposed.We will continue to expand EM for perpetrators of violence against women and girls, ensuring that public protection and victim safety will remain at the heart of decision making when determining whether to impose EM.
What steps are being taken to monitor and mitigate the mental health impact of changes being made during the NHS England restructuring process on affected staff.
Safeguarding the mental health and wellbeing of colleagues while delivering the changes needed for the future of NHS England is a key priority for NHS England. NHS England has designed and implemented an equity-focused support package which has been shaped and informed jointly with staff networks, representative of the diversity of the organisation, trade unions, and health and safety representatives to meet the diverse needs of colleagues in the organisation. The support includes:dedicated mental health resources through the Employee Assistance Programme, with confidential counselling, and occupational health and wellbeing services available to all staff;inclusive guidance for line managers to help them identify and respond to wellbeing concerns in a way that is sensitive to individual circumstances, including those related to protected characteristics and personal responsibilities; andtargeted support for staff networks and underrepresented groups, ensuring that voices from across NHS England’s organisation are heard and supported during this transition.NHS England is actively monitoring the impact of change through multiple feedback channels, including the annual staff survey, engagement forums, Health and Safety Committee staff network, and recognised trade union forums.
What employment protections and transition arrangements are in place for long-serving NHS clinical staff being moved into civil service contracts through the NHS England restructuring process.
Employment protections and transition arrangements will form part of consultation under a legal transfer mechanism. Detail on this will be provided to recognised trade unions and staff when consultation commences.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the NHS England restructure on equalities, particularly on disabled, neurodiverse, female and non-British staff members.
NHS England is actively monitoring the impact of transition through multiple feedback channels, including the annual staff survey, engagement forums, its Health and Safety Committee, staff networks, and recognised trade union forums, as well as through sickness absence and direct feedback mechanisms. This approach is underpinned by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion framework, which proved effective in assessing the potential impact of restructuring on staff with protected characteristics.NHS England has designed and implemented an enhanced support package for its staff during transition which has been shaped and informed with its staff networks who are representative of the diversity of its workforce, trade unions, and health and safety representatives to meet the diverse needs of colleagues in the organisation. The support includes:dedicated mental health resources through the Employee Assistance Programme, with confidential counselling, and occupational health and wellbeing services available to all staff;a mix of wellbeing workshops to support staff with career planning, financial planning and stress management;inclusive guidance for line managers to help them identify and respond to wellbeing concerns in a way that is sensitive to individual circumstances, including those related to protected characteristics and personal responsibilities;targeted support for staff networks and underrepresented groups, ensuring that voices from across NHS England’s organisation are heard and supported during transition; anda commitment to undertake additional Equality Impact Assessments as the programme moves into more detailed design phases, ensuring that equality considerations remain central to decision-making.
With reference to recent data obtained by StopWatch via Freedom of Information of this year’s Operation Sceptre results, what assessment will be made of the cost-effectiveness of public knife amnesty bins compared with enforcement options for recovering knives and other weapons.
The Government continues to encourage police forces to undertake a series of coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. In 2025 police have delivered two national weeks of intensification in May and November, and the data and operational results from these are owned and held by the police.The Government ran an extended knife surrender arrangement in July 2025 in various areas in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and London. This allowed members of the public to surrender weapons anonymously at a mobile surrender van operated by FazAmnesty and in 37 new surrender bins installed by Word 4 Weapons with Home Office funding.A total of 3,570 knives and weapons were surrendered through these arrangements. The figures were set out in a Written Ministerial Statement on 30 October: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK ParliamentAcross police operations, border seizures and knife surrender schemes this Government has already seen nearly 60,000 knives taken off our streets.
Whether as part of the Timms review ministers will consult Social Security Scotland and look at how assessments and reassessments are carried out.
We engage closely with officials and disability stakeholders from across the devolved governments, including the Scottish Government, to ensure the Timms Review is informed by diverse approaches to disability support from across the United Kingdom. The Review’s Terms of Reference, which set out its scope, include an explicit reference to re-assessments to recognise that PIP must be fair and fit for new and existing claimants. You can view the Terms of Reference on GOV.UK.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a windfall tax on current Rolling Stock companies (ROSCOs).
Rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCOs) play an important role in the transport industry, bringing benefits to both taxpayers and passengers.Great British Railways will work with ROSCOs and manufacturers in an effective and streamlined way. The government will also develop a long-term strategy for rolling stock, which will support manufacturing and ensure a stable pipeline of work.
Pursuant to the answer to question 37814 on 20 March 2025, when the outcome, recommendations and a departmental response arising from the review into the Science Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons will be (a) published, and (b) notified to Parliament.
The Government is undertaking a comprehensive review of the entire Arm's Length Body (ALB) landscape, as announced on 6 April 2025, and is a core part of creating a productive and agile state. As stated in my previous answer of 7 November 2025, the closure of the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons (SACMILL) is an important step in Defence’s ALB reform journey. The closure of the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons (MILLWEC)) was announced on GOV.UK on 30 November 2025. The closure was agreed by Ministerial write round. The provision of independent medical advice on the use of less lethal weapons will now be delivered by MILLWEC, as established by the Home Office.
With reference to the answer of 21 November 2025 to question UIN 90771, what steps he is taking to monitor the performance of the handover of the new Civil Service Pension Scheme contract to Capita, including monitoring and taking action on missed payments to new pensioners and reported errors in the new online portal.
The previous administrator, MyCSP continued to make payments up to and including 1 December. Capita assumed control of the payroll from 2 December and continues to pay pensioners continuously in line with the contractual requirements. The Cabinet Office is monitoring Capita’s services via ‘Early Life Support’ during December. This involves Capita providing regular updates across different workstreams, offering quick issue resolution and performance monitoring to ensure stability. Once this is completed early in 2026, phase 2 will progress which is Capita increasing the functionality and automation within the portal which will increase the member self serve options. The Cabinet Office will monitor this period for approximately 6 months. An issue was identified with the new scheme website shortly after launch that caused the website and portal to run slowly. Capita immediately identified the issue and worked with Microsoft to rectify the issue. By 4 December, the website was considerably improved and we now have 37,000 members registered on the member portal as of 5 December.
How he will make sure those on heat networks with no direct relationship with their energy supplier will benefit the reductions in energy bills announced in the budget.
The Budget took action to reduce energy bills for households. This will be delivered through the government funding 75% of the domestic cost of the legacy Renewables Obligation for the rest of this spending review period from 2026-27 to 2028-29 and ending the Energy Company Obligation. Both these measures reduce electricity costs, and therefore benefit all households that have a domestic electricity account, regardless of their heating type. This will include the vast majority of heat network customers. The government will consider how to further target the savings announced in the Budget towards electricity bills. The government will set out how it intends to deliver this through the Warm Homes Plan.
How she is engaging with aviation workers and their unions about increasing the sustainability of aviation policy, including through the the Airports National Policy Statement review (ANPS) and its review of the Jet Zero strategy; and will she consider deliberative and participatory consultation methods such as a Workers' or Citizens' Assembly.
The government is committed to delivering greener transport and we are making significant progress in supporting aviation to become more sustainable. The government engages with the aviation sector and trade unions on aviation decarbonisation, including via the Jet Zero Taskforce. The Taskforce aims to identify, and advise on, unblocking key barriers to delivering greener aviation. On 4 December 2025, I met the aviation sector Trade Unions and made clear my support for decarbonisation and addressing the skills gap. Any proposed changes to policy in the Airports National Policy Statement as a result of the ongoing review will be subject to public consultation in summer 2026, providing the opportunity for aviation workers and their unions to respond. We have also recently published our approach to stakeholder engagement which sets out how we intend to gather a broad range of views as part of the review, which can be found here: Engagement during the Airports National Policy Statement review - GOV.UK
Whether she plans to reduce the cost to (a) the public purse, and (b) farepayers of the cost of maintaining payments to the current Rolling Stock companies (ROSCOs).
We expect that, once established, Great British Railways (GBR) will continue to lease rolling stock where this offers value for money. The private-sector rolling stock market has brought significant benefits to passengers and taxpayers, with private investment worth over £20 billion since 1995. However, we are determined to work with the market to ensure it delivers best value for passengers and taxpayers in the future. That is why, even before establishing GBR, we are now developing a comprehensive long-term strategy for rolling stock and associated infrastructure – the first in more than thirty years. We intend to publish this next summer.