Matt Vickers MP: written questions 2025
655 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Part-time Employment: CarersDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71373More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support carers who are in part-time work.
Answer: The Government keeps all aspects of Carer’s Allowance under review to see if it is meeting its objectives. It is not means-tested but is subject to a weekly earnings limit. This was increased by a record amount in April 2025, which will benefit at least 6...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRestart SchemeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71372More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Restart Scheme in regions with persistently high unemployment.
Answer: The Department is currently undertaking a quantitative impact evaluation of the Restart Scheme. This evaluation will assess the overall effectiveness of the scheme nationally, including areas of high unemployment, but will not necessarily be able to draw ...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71371More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to employers in Stockton West constituency to increase disability confidence in recruitment.
Answer: Nationally, in our Get Britain Working White Paper, published November 2024, we committed support for employers to recruit, retain, and develop staff. As part of that, the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade have asked Sir Ch...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71370More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to improve take-up of Pension Credit in areas where rates of claim are low.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that all pensioners receive the support to which they are entitled. That is why since autumn 2024 we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign. The latest Pension Credit applications and awa...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: PovertyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71369More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on tackling in-work poverty.
Answer: We know that working full-time substantially reduces the risk of being in poverty. Working age adults living in households where no adults are in work were around 6 times more likely to be in relative poverty after housing costs than working age adults in...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: North EastDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71368More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of benefit claimants in the North East have been subject to sanctions in the last 12 months.
Answer: The Department regularly publishes monthly Universal Credit sanction rate statistics for Great Britain as part of the benefit sanction statistics. The latest statistics to May 2025 are available in table 2.1 of the latest benefit sanction statistics table...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordJobcentres: Rural AreasDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71367More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, What steps she is taking to improve access to face-to-face Jobcentre services in rural areas.
Answer: The majority of our current service provided by Jobcentres is through face-to-face appointments through a network of more than 630 jobcentres, spread across England, Scotland and Wales. As part of the new Jobs and Careers Service, we are testing changes t...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: FamiliesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71366More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Universal Credit in supporting working families.
Answer: As promised in our election manifesto, we are currently reviewing Universal Credit, including its support for working families, to ensure it makes work pay and tackles poverty. Universal Credit is designed so that people who can, are able to secure and pr...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: Chronic Illnesses and DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71365More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support is available to help people with long-term health conditions return to work in high-deprivation areas.
Answer: Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched last November will drive for...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: Stockton on TeesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71364More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the length of Personal Independence Payment processing times in Stockton-on-Tees.
Answer: We are committed to ensuring that people can access financial support through PIP in a timely manner and always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all available evidence For PIP new claims the curr...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUnemployment: Young PeopleDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71363More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of young people classed as NEET in Teesside.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Stockton West to the answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 69622.
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordOlder Workers: North EastDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71362More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of employment support services for over-50s in the North East.
Answer: DWP currently offers employment support for eligible customers of all ages, through the network of Jobcentres across the UK, and through contracted employment programmes. We provide tailored support for those older jobseekers affected by low confidence, m...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: North EastDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71361More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure major infrastructure projects in the North East are delivered on time and on budget.
Answer: This government is investing significantly in the North East to improve transport connectivity and grow the economy. Following the recent Spending Review, we announced funding for Nexus to develop an upgrade to the signalling system on the Tyne and Wear M...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: HydrogenDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support hydrogen-powered transport solutions in the Tees Valley.
Answer: The Department for Transport (DfT) considers that hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives could play an important role in decarbonising the transport sector, particularly in heavier transport such as aviation and maritime. We are supporting research, developmen...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Scooters: Hire ServicesDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the level of effectiveness of e-scooter trials in reducing urban congestion.
Answer: E-scooters can offer an alternative means of transport to those who would usually drive a car, which could have a positive impact on reducing congestion. Many of the benefits of e-scooters depend on mode shift. The first national evaluation of the e-scoot...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71358More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support her Department provides to local authorities preparing bids for rail reopening projects.
Answer: The Department is open to requests for support and engages directly with local authorities as they develop business cases. It should be noted that rail enhancements projects are rarely proposed as 'bids' but rather considered on the basis of Business Case...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: SchoolsDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71357More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to improve road safety outside schools in high-traffic areas.
Answer: Local authorities also have a range of traffic management measures available to them to help improve safety outside schools including reducing speed limits, traffic calming, and introduction of a School Street where appropriate. On 19 November 2024 Activ...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: Tees ValleyDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71356More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on electrification of rail lines serving Teesside.
Answer: This government is investing significantly in the North East to improve transport connectivity and grow the economy. Following the recent Spending Review, the Tees Valley mayoral combined authority will receive funding to deliver local transport projects,...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: Tees ValleyDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71355More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with Tees Valley Combined Authority on transport priorities for the region.
Answer: My Department has allocated Tees Valley Combined Authority £978m through the Transport for City Regions settlements over the 5-year period from 2027-32. This is in addition to £310m allocated to Tees Valley via the City Region Sustainable Transport Settle...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRailway Stations: North EastDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71354More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that rail stations in the North East meet accessibility standards.
Answer: This government is committed to improving the accessibility of Britain’s railway and recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.In the North East, five Access for All projects have been undertaken, four of which are now complete...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordBus ServicesDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71353More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support her Department provides to local authorities to maintain bus routes with low commercial viability.
Answer: The Government is committed to delivering better buses throughout the country and wants to see an end to the decline in bus services we have seen in recent years. The Government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambiti...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Transport: North EastDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71352More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Local Transport Fund on journey times in the North East.
Answer: The Local Transport Fund was an unfunded commitment made by the previous government. As the Secretary of State has said publicly, her department will not be pursuing this scheme. The North East receives local transport funding from the department, includi...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: North EastDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71351More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will estimate the number of potholes repaired in the North East since 2020.
Answer: The Government’s road condition statistics consider a broader definition of road condition than numbers of potholes, and so official data on this aspect of road condition is not available for the years requested. However, as announced in March, local high...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Freeports and Industrial DevelopmentDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71350More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to upgrade road infrastructure serving (a) freeport and (b) industrial development sites.
Answer: We are investing £4.8 billion during 2025/26 to operate, maintain, renew and enhance the Strategic Road Network, supporting journeys right across the country, enabling connectivity and economic growth. We have committed to delivering several major road sc...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordActive Travel: Tees ValleyDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71349More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding she has allocated to local authorities in the Tees Valley to support active travel schemes.
Answer: On 12 February, the Department announced almost £300 million of funding to support active travel across England, including allocations to local authorities through the Active Travel Fund 5 and Consolidated Active Travel Fund. Of this funding, the Tees Val...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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