Mel Stride MP: written questions
75 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Income TaxTreasuryTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64420More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Oral Statement of 30 October 2024 on Financial Statement and Budget Report, Official Report, column 821, whether it remains her policy not to extend the freeze on income tax thresholds.
Answer: The Government is committed to keeping taxes for working people as low as possible while ensuring fiscal responsibility. That is why, at our first Budget, we decided not to extend the freeze on personal tax thresholds.
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64419More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it remains her Department's policy to spend an additional £1 billion on employment support for people with health conditions and disabilities by 2029-30 relative to pre-Spring Statement plans, f
Answer: We will spend an additional £1 billion on employment support for people with health conditions and disabilities by 2029-2030 relative to pre-Spring Statement plans, with no impact following changes made to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Pa...
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: Medical ExaminationsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64011More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made a comparative assessment of award rates for (a) in-person and (b) other modes of PIP assessment.
Answer: The Health Assessment Channels Trial, conducted by the department between May 2022 and March 2023, compared the monetary impact of each PIP assessment channel, focussing on initial claimants eligible for all channels (in-person, telephone or video). The t...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordWork Capability AssessmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64010More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the award rate for Work Capability Assessment was (a) in-person, (b) not in-person and (c) across all modes in each of the last 10 years; and whether her Department has made a comparative assessmen
Answer: The information requested on decisions is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, relevant available information on health professional recommendations has been provided in response to a previous Parliamentary ...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment and Universal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64009More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people impacted by the changes to PIP proposed in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill she estimates will (a) lose eligibility to PIP entirely, (b)
Answer: The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out the Government’s intention to abolish the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). This reform will move away from categorising individuals into binary groups of ‘can work’ or ‘can’t work’. Instead, eligibility for additi...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: ReformDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64008More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Oral Statement of 30 June 2025 on Welfare Reform, columns 23-25, whether (a) the cost of changes to her welfare reform proposals include the cost of the new severe conditions group
Answer: We published Impact Assessments alongside this Bill in the usual way. These set out who will be impacted, the financial implications of the changes and equality analysis.To account for the proposed changes to the Bill, the Impact Assessment will be revise...
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64007More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Oral Statement of 30 June 2025 on Welfare Reform, columns 23-25, what the evidential basis was for her statement that less that 1% of people on universal credit move into work each
Answer: The statistics referred to in that statement related to those on Universal Credit in the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity Group. Statistics on the Into Work Rates of Claimants on the Universal Credit Health Journey by month can be fou...
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxation: International CooperationTreasuryTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63562More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the G7 agreement on global minimum tax on additional revenue to the public purse in each of the next five financial years.
Answer: The Chancellor, alongside her G7 counterparts, has reached an understanding on a proposed path forward for the global minimum tax, Pillar 2 of the G20/OECD Inclusive Framework project on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS). The G7 published a statemen...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: FinanceTreasuryTabled 12 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59327More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Table 5.8 of the Spending Review document published on 11 June 2025, what the annual real terms increases in central government funding for policing will be in each financial year up to and includi
Answer: The Phase 2 settlement provides an average 1.7% real terms increase per year in police spending power. Over the SR period, police spending power is projected to increase by an average 2.3% per year in real terms. This reflects estimated funding through a ...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: FinanceTreasuryTabled 12 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59321More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Table 5.8 of the Spending Review, published on 11 June 2025, (a) what analysis informed the estimates for increases in police core spending power and (b) what increases in police council tax precep
Answer: Police core spending power refers to the projected total police settlement funding for Counter Terrorism Police and Territorial Police. The Phase 2 settlement provides an average 1.7% real terms increase per year in police spending power. Over the SR peri...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic FinanceTreasuryTabled 12 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59316More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to box 4.A of the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, how much of the financial transactions set out in the document are additional to the quantum which was assumed at Autumn Budget 2024;
Answer: At the Budget last Autumn, the government set out a clear fiscal strategy to stabilise the public finances and underpin growth. This involved introducing new fiscal rules which provide stability, put the public finances on a sustainable path and ensure ou...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: FinanceTreasuryTabled 12 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59315More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.20 of the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, if she will provide a breakdown of the £1 billion estimated savings from spending on the asylum system by (a) area of spend, (
Answer: This government inherited an unaffordable and unsustainable asylum pressure, which is why this government has taken action to reduce asylum costs. The Home Secretary’s robust reforms, including investment in the new Border Security Command, are aimed at r...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government FinanceTreasuryTabled 12 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59314More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 5.74 of the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, whether the 3.1% annual growth figure for local authority spending power assumes all councils increase core council tax by 3%
Answer: Table 5.17 of the Spending Review 2025 document refers to an estimated average annual real-terms growth rate for Local Authority (LA) Core Spending Power of 3.1% per year from 2023-24 to 2028-29. The approach to council tax within these estimates is in li...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Sector DebtTreasuryTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54245More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make a comparative assessment of the outturn and forecast data for public sector net (a) borrowing, (b) debt, excluding Bank of England debt, and (c) financial liabilities for each financial year from 20
Answer: The information requested is publicly available. Forecast data is published on the OBR’s website https://obr.uk/publications/. Outturn public finances data is published on the ONS website https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/publi...
Answered 3 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentTreasuryTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53830More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her Department’s policy to announce changes to winter fuel payments at fiscal events.
Answer: This Government remains absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. The Government took the right action last July to support the public finances. Tough but fair decisions were taken, ...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDouble Taxation: IndiaTreasuryTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53829More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason her Department did not make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed Double Contribution Convention with India on the public purse before agreeing to it.
Answer: The OBR will certify the impact of the trade deal including the Double Contributions Convention in the usual way at a fiscal event, once the deal is finalised and ratified. The agreement to negotiate a Double Contributions Convention was made in the conte...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: ImmigrationTreasuryTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45568More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of migrants to the UK gaining access to (a) welfare payments and (b) other services as a result of obtaining indefinite leave to remain for each financial y
Answer: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) produces forecasts of the UK’s economic and fiscal position.Box 4.5 of the OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook published in March 2024 sets out estimated impacts of migration on the fiscal forecast. As the minimum ...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordWork Capability AssessmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45567More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the planned rollout of the abolition of the Work Capability Assessment has been delayed from 2026, and what the full new planned timetable is for rollout of this reform to (a) new and (b
Answer: Our Green Paper outlines why we think removing the WCA and moving to using the PIP assessment as the single assessment for additional financial support, is the correct decision for the reformed disability benefits system. Scrapping the Work Capability Ass...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic ExpenditureTreasuryTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44430More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 43439 on Public Expenditure, the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 40157 on Public Expenditure and with reference to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury's stateme
Answer: The current budget was last in a sustained surplus between 1998-99 and 2001-02. The last financial year for which the current budget was in surplus was 2018-19, when there was a surplus of 0.0% of GDP. This information is available in the public finances ...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDisposable Income: ForecastsTreasuryTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43446More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the net impact of (a) Government policies since 4 July 2024, (b) the Autumn Budget 2024 and (c) the Spring Statement 2025 has been on the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecasts for real household disposab
Answer: HM Treasury does not prepare forecasts for the UK economy. Forecasts, including for real household disposable income per person, are the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). These forecasts are published by the OBR as ...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: ReformDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43445More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's proposed reforms to eligibility for Personal Independence Payment on employment.
Answer: Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get ...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security BenefitsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43444More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is her Department's policy that people with (a) more than £16,000 in savings, (b) a full National Insurance record and (c) a work-limiting health condition will not be eligible for support th
Answer: This is not current government policy. We are consulting on plans for a new “Unemployment Insurance”. We are asking about what the right level of support is and how long it should last, and we would welcome your response. No final decisions have been take...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: ReformDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43443More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department's proposed reforms to contributory out of work benefits are expected to reduce contributory benefits as a proportion of overall welfare expenditure.
Answer: Our proposed reforms to contributory benefits are about creating a more proactive, pro-work system that actually supports individuals. While the reforms are part of a package that will make the benefits system more affordable, they will also ensure that t...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment and Support AllowanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43442More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of new style Employment and Support Allowance claims have been in payment for at least (a) three, (b) six, (c) 12, and (d) 18 months for (i) the Work Related Activity Group and (ii) the
Answer: The following table shows the volume of new style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) and Support Group (SG) claims that have been in payment for at least three, six, 12 and 18 months. Volumes of ESA claims that have ...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: FinanceMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43441More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether capital departmental expenditure by his Department can fund an expansion in the size of the armed forces; and how much and what proportion of the additional defence expenditure announced at the Spring Sta
Answer: Any expansion in the size of the Armed Forces would predominantly result in an increase to resource spending rather than capital spending. However, the capitalisation of workforce costs directly employed in bringing a capital asset into service is allowed...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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