Alison Bennett MP: written questions

Written questions

• Juries: CompensationMinistry of JusticeTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26356More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Government plans to review the maximum amount jurors can claim for loss of earnings while undertaking jury service, and whether he considers the current allowance to be sufficient.

  Answer: Jury service is an important civic duty, and the Government is committed to ensuring jurors feel supported throughout their service. People who are not paid by their employer whilst they are on jury service can claim a loss of earnings allowance from the ...

  Answered 4 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Parking OffencesDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 24813More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to review Civil Enforcement Officer powers where there is a repeated contravention of parking restrictions over the course of a single day within a localised area.

  Answer: There are no plans to review Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) powers. In the event that multiple parking contraventions are observed, CEOs have powers to issue a Penalty Charge Notice in respect of each contravention.

  Answered 3 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Public Sector: FraudCabinet OfficeTabled 16 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 19673More

  Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to recover public funds lost through fraud, misconduct and the improper award of public contracts; and how much has been recovered in each of the last five years.

  Answer: This government is taking the strongest action against fraudsters that seek to take advantage of the public sector. That’s why the government introduced the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act in December 2026 - giving us more tools to comb...

  Answered 3 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Access to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 19672More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what service targets apply to (a) application processing, (b) renewals, (c) payment processing and (d) complaint handling within Access to Work.

  Answer: Access to Work is a discretionary grant scheme and does not operate against published service targets for application processing or renewals. The time taken to process applications and renewals will vary depending on a range of factors, including the comp...

  Answered 3 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Greater Thameslink Railway: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 19671More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of (a) cancellation rates and (b) service reliability on Thameslink services since the operator transferred into public ownership.

  Answer: Thameslink services transferred into public ownership on 31 May 2026, and the Department has not yet made a formal assessment of trends in cancellation rates and service reliability since that transfer. However, the new public sector operator has committe...

  Answered 3 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Children: EqualityDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 17587More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that children from ethnic minority and working class backgrounds have equal access to education and future work opportunities.

  Answer: The department is committed to doing more to improve the life changes of all children, including children from ethnic minority and working class backgrounds.Our approach is comprehensive: rebuilding early family support, developing a new model for targeti...

  Answered 2 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Special Educational NeedsDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 17586More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure equal access to education for children with additional learning needs.

  Answer: An inclusive education system for all children and young people requires a strong universal offer, built on high-quality adaptive teaching and early, effective support.To support the development of a more inclusive mainstream system, we are investing £500...

  Answered 14 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Afghanistan: WomenForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 9 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 17585More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking in response to ongoing restrictions put on women in Afghanistan by the Taliban.

  Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 2 April in response to Question 122807.

  Answered 13 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Emergency Services: Sign LanguageDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16270More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the provision of British Sign Language interpreters within emergency services.

  Answer: Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local population, which includes responsibility for ensuring that there is adequate provision of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters to support deaf p...

  Answered 9 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record