Ben Coleman MP: written questions
113 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Housing: OvercrowdingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117086More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the statutory overcrowding standards set out in the Housing Act 1985.
Answer: The government has no current plans to review or amend the overcrowding provisions as set out in Part X of the Housing Act 1985.Crowding and space are assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and enforced under Part 1 of the Hous...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: OvercrowdingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117085More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to review the statutory overcrowding provisions in the Housing Act 1985.
Answer: The government has no current plans to review or amend the overcrowding provisions as set out in Part X of the Housing Act 1985.Crowding and space are assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and enforced under Part 1 of the Hous...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordErasmus+ Programme: ApprenticesDepartment for EducationTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114748More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage and support applications from apprentices to Erasmus+.
Answer: We will work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups.A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well ahead of the 202...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordErasmus+ ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how UK institutions will be able to participate in Erasmus+ if they do not get accredited by the deadline of 24 March 2026.
Answer: Higher education (HE) institutions must successfully apply for the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) before applying for funding for any project, whether they are applying for mobilities or partnerships, or as an individual organisation or conso...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordErasmus+ ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114746More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which types of UK institutions and organisations will be eligible to participate in the Erasmus+ programme.
Answer: Erasmus+ is open to learners, trainees and staff in higher education, further education, vocational education and training, schools and adult education. It is also open to young people and youth workers in the youth sector, as well as staff in sports orga...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordErasmus+ ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114745More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the national UK agency for Erasmus+ will be in place and where it will be hosted.
Answer: The department has commenced discussions with the British Council with a view to them being appointed as the National Agency for Erasmus+.The National Agency will be set up in time to accept bids for the 2027 Erasmus+ funding call which opens in November ...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordErasmus+ ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114744More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) raise awareness of and (b) promote the opportunities offered by Erasmus+ among eligiblestudenrts and institutions.
Answer: We will work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups.A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well ahead of the 202...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHospices: ChildrenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114456More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department will notify children’s hospices of allocations from the £80 million in funding announced on 16 October 2025.
Answer: Children and young people’s hospices and integrated care boards will be informed of their children and young people’s hospice grant allocations for 2026/27 imminently. Communication regarding future allocations, for 2027/28 and 2028/29, will be sent once ...
Answered 27 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: TelemedicineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113020More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what provision has been made to help increase the number of appointments available within NHS primary care services in response to increases in online consultation use at GP surgeries.
Answer: We have invested £160 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of over 2,000 individual general practitioners (GPs) into primary care networks across England, helping to increase appointment availability and improv...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: TelemedicineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113019More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of (a) the new online consultation system for GP surgeries and (b) as part of that, urgent clinical queries being included on forms meant for n
Answer: General practices (GPs) are independent businesses contracted by the National Health Service to deliver essential services, and as part of these contracts they are required to provide modern telephony systems and online consultation tools. In the 2025 con...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: TelemedicineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113018More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the impact that mandating extended online consultation use at GP surgeries will have on the availability of face-to-face appointments.
Answer: No formal assessment has been undertaken of the impact that mandating extended use of online consultations will have on the availability of face‑to‑face appointments.Between November and December 2025, the number of online consultations fell by approximat...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRiver Thames: Owner OccupationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112048More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Environment Agency on it registering property owners along the tidal Thames as riparian owners where legal evidence of ownership does not exist
Answer: The Environment Agency does not register landowners in London as riparian owners. A landowner’s responsibility for a tidal flood defence arises under the Metropolis Management (Thames River Prevention of Floods) Amendment Act 1879, which requires flood de...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRiver Thames: Owner OccupationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112047More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Environment Agency is permitted to register property owners along the tidal Thames as riparian owners where legal evidence of ownership does not exist.
Answer: The Environment Agency does not register landowners in London as riparian owners. A landowner’s responsibility for a tidal flood defence arises under the Metropolis Management (Thames River Prevention of Floods) Amendment Act 1879, which requires flood de...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRentsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112046More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason his Department calculates the maximum fair rent for regulated tenancies using the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rather than the Retail Prices Index (RPI).
Answer: Regulated tenancies under the Rent Act 1977 are entitled to a ‘fair rent’ which is determined and registered by rent officers. The Rent Act (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 limits increases in registered fair rents to the change in the Retail Price Index pl...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRentsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112045More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will consider amending The Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 so that the formula to calculate the maximum fair rent for regulated tenancies uses the
Answer: Regulated tenancies under the Rent Act 1977 are entitled to a ‘fair rent’ which is determined and registered by rent officers. The Rent Act (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 limits increases in registered fair rents to the change in the Retail Price Index pl...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRentsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112044More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to (a) review and (b) amend the maximum fair rent inflationary index set in the Rent Act 1977.
Answer: Regulated tenancies under the Rent Act 1977 are entitled to a ‘fair rent’ which is determined and registered by rent officers. The Rent Act (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 limits increases in registered fair rents to the change in the Retail Price Index pl...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Workplace PensionsCabinet OfficeTabled 30 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109930More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what resources Capita has committed to reducing the Civil Service pension processing backlog, including staffing levels and system capacity.
Answer: The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension ...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Workplace PensionsCabinet OfficeTabled 30 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109929More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what performance metrics are specified in the contract with Capita to administer the civil service pensions scheme; and whether any service credits or penalties have been applied because of service failures.
Answer: The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension ...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Workplace PensionsCabinet OfficeTabled 30 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109928More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the causes and scale of delays in the administration of Civil Service pensions following the transfer of the contract to Capita on 1 December 2025.
Answer: The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension ...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordFood SupplyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 23 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108124More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will (a) publish targets and delivery mechanisms in the implementation of the food strategy to reduce food insecurity and improve population health and (b) set out plans to moni
Answer: The Good Food Cycle identifies for the first time the outcomes wanted from the food system. It is the first part of an on-going programme to create a healthier, more affordable, sustainable and resilient food system. The Government is developing plans to ...
Answered 30 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordFood Poverty: ChildrenDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 23 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108123More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of food poverty on children's health inequalities; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including measures
Answer: The UK Food Security Report (published on GOV.UK in December 2024) reported that 31% of households with children under 16 are reported to be food insecure. The food strategy will support access to affordable food, target costs that lead to food price infl...
Answered 30 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 8 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104429More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the risk of harm, including financial hardship, distress, or loss of income, which may arise from the Universal Credit migration process.
Answer: The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that the transition to Universal Credit works as smoothly and safely as possible for all individuals, including for disabled people. Customers moving from DWP legacy benefits or Housing Benefit...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 8 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104428More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what protections are in place for claimants with disabilities during the Universal Credit migration process.
Answer: The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that the transition to Universal Credit works as smoothly and safely as possible for all individuals, including for disabled people. Customers moving from DWP legacy benefits or Housing Benefit...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Reasonable AdjustmentsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 8 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104427More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how reasonable adjustments are assessed and implemented for disabled claimants undergoing migration to Universal Credit.
Answer: The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that the migration to Universal Credit works as smoothly as possible for all individuals, including those with disabilities. We recognise that some claimants may require additional support to m...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work Programme: Musculoskeletal DisordersDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 8 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104412More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 1 December to Question 94595, how many current Access to Work applications which have been allocated for an assessment are there for people identified as living with a (a) form
Answer: The Department does not hold data on the number of Access to Work applications allocated for assessment for people identified as living with (a) a form of arthritis or (b) a musculoskeletal condition. While the health condition is recorded on the customer...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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