Paula Barker MP: written questions 2026
51 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Social Services: PayDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128869More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he intends to take steps through the fair pay agreement process for the adult social care sector to reduce the take-home pay gap between social care support workers and equivalent NHS Band
Answer: We plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce.The Fair Pay Agreement process will see a new body formed to negotiate changes to pay and t...
Answered 28 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordHomelessness: ChildrenMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121467More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that local councils provide homelessness assistance to children to prevent them being forced to sleep rough.
Answer: I wrote to council leaders and chief executives on Wednesday 25 February setting out local authorities’ legal duties to homeless families with children under the Housing Act 1996 and Children Act 1989. This letter made it clear that a child should never b...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHomelessnessMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121461More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled A National Plan to End Homelessness, published on 11 December 2025, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues
Answer: The National Plan to End Homelessness announces a long-term ambition that no one should leave a public institution into homelessness. This parliament we will take the first steps towards this through joint cross-government targets to reduce the number of ...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Housing AllowanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121457More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the freeze in Local Housing Allowance on levels of rough sleeping and homelessness in England.
Answer: The causes of rough sleeping and homelessness are multifaceted and are driven by a range of factors, both personal and structural. Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates are annually reviewed, usually in the Autumn. At Autumn budget 2025, the Secretary of St...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing FirstMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121450More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to promote Housing First as an effective response to rough sleeping.
Answer: Housing First is an important intervention which evidence has shown can transform the lives of people with complex needs. We are funding Housing First and other forms of housing-led accommodation in 2025/26 through our £255.5 million Rough Sleeping Preven...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: DisqualificationDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121448More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of benefit sanctions on people forced into prostitution due to destitution.
Answer: The core objective of Universal Credit is to support people who are out of work or on a low income to enter work, earn more, or to prepare for work in the future, and claimants are generally expected to undertake certain work-related activities in return ...
Answered 13 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordParental Leave and Parental PayDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 12 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113190More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on publicising entitlement to Neonatal Care Pay and Leave in hospitals and other health settings to parents who could potentially be eligible.
Answer: Neonatal Care Leave and Pay was introduced in April 2025 and as part of its introduction, my department has made strong efforts to raise awareness of the new entitlement to ensure eligible parents can access it. Charities, including Bliss, have supported ...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPaternity LeaveDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 12 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113189More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits to working families of extending the statutory entitlement to paternity leave.
Answer: Through the Employment Rights Act, we are making Paternity Leave a ‘day one’ right from 6 April this year. This will bring an extra 32,000 fathers and partners into scope of the entitlement.However, we recognise that more can be done. That is why we launc...
Answered 27 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployment: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 12 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113188More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the voluntary and community sector on providing employment support to help tackle the disability employment gap.
Answer: Evaluation is a key driver in delivering DWP’s priority outcomes and ensuring alignment with the Government’s Plan for Change. As set out in the DWP Evidence and Evaluation Strategy, ongoing evaluation of employment support programmes assesses whether the...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Society: FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 12 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113187More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether voluntary and community sector organisations are eligible for funding through the Local Growth Fund.
Answer: With the UK Shared Prosperity Fund concluding in 2026, the government is moving away from short-term, uncertain funding cycles and towards a clearer, more stable long-term funding approach through the Local Government Finance Settlement, complemented by t...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUK Shared Prosperity FundMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 12 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113186More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on bridging funding for voluntary and community organisations following the closure of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Answer: With the UK Shared Prosperity Fund concluding in 2026, the government is moving away from short-term, uncertain funding cycles and towards a clearer, more stable long-term funding approach through the Local Government Finance Settlement, complemented by t...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUK Shared Prosperity FundMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 12 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113185More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his department has made of the potential impact of the closure of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund on the capacity of the voluntary and community sector to support y
Answer: With the UK Shared Prosperity Fund concluding in 2026, the government is moving away from short-term, uncertain funding cycles and towards a clearer, more stable long-term funding approach through the Local Government Finance Settlement, complemented by t...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUK Shared Prosperity FundMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 12 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113184More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the closure of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund on the capacity of the voluntary and community sector to support p
Answer: With the UK Shared Prosperity Fund concluding in 2026, the government is moving away from short-term, uncertain funding cycles and towards a clearer, more stable long-term funding approach through the Local Government Finance Settlement, complemented by t...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 12 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113158More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department’s estimate is of the (a) total level of student loan debt of Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and 2023 and (b) total level of student loan debt of Plan 2 students at the
Answer: The current mean average level of student loan balance of Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and 2023 to the nearest £100, as of 9 February, is £52,100 for England domiciled borrowers.We do not hold a forecast for this average balance i...
Answered 2 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordHomelessness: Older PeopleMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112441More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help ensure local authorities design local homelessness support services that meet the needs of older people when they experience homelessness.
Answer: Homelessness is far too high, including amongst people over the age of 65. The government publishes homelessness data, including the age of the main applicant owed a prevention and relief duty on gov.uk here. Our National Plan to End Homelessness sets out...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHomelessness: Older PeopleMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112440More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of trends in the number of people over 65 owed a statutory homelessness prevention and relief duty by local authorities in England since July 2024.
Answer: Homelessness is far too high, including amongst people over the age of 65. The government publishes homelessness data, including the age of the main applicant owed a prevention and relief duty on gov.uk here. Our National Plan to End Homelessness sets out...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordNurses: StudentsDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112436More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of freezing the Plan 2 repayment threshold on (a) nursing students with Plan 2 loans and (b) nursing students with Plan 2 loans who started their
Answer: Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.Lower earning graduates remain protected by this change. Graduates only begin repaying once their ea...
Answered 27 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112434More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her department has made of the potential impact of maintaining thresholds for repayment of student loans between 2027-28 and 2029-30 for Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and
Answer: Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.Lower earning graduates remain protected by this change. Graduates only begin repaying once their ea...
Answered 27 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112433More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of maintaining thresholds for repayment of student loans between 2027-28 and 2029-30 for Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and
Answer: Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.Lower earning graduates remain protected by this change. Graduates only begin repaying once their ea...
Answered 2 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112432More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of maintaining thresholds for repayment of student loans between 2027-28 and 2029-30 for Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and
Answer: Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.Lower earning graduates remain protected by this change. Graduates only begin repaying once their ea...
Answered 2 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112430More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what is her Department’s estimate of the (a) average level of student loan debt of Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and 2023 and (b) average level of student loan debt of Plan 2 students at
Answer: The current mean average level of student loan balance of Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and 2023 to the nearest £100, as of 9 February, is £52,100 for England domiciled borrowers.We do not hold a forecast for this average balance i...
Answered 2 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordMilitary DecorationsMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112429More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the merits of issuing a National Defence Medal to military personnel to recognise their service to their country.
Answer: This Government continues to hold those who serve, and who have served, in our Armed Forces, in the highest esteem. The question of whether a National Defence Medal should be introduced has previously been considered at length. The Committee on the Grant ...
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSleeping Rough: WomenMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110107More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what work his Department is doing to help improve data collection on the number of women rough sleeping and to adopt a gender-informed methodology for measuring rough sleeping.
Answer: The government recognises that women experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping have different experiences and needs to men.In November 2025 the government published the Rough Sleeping Questionnaire deep dive on women’s homelessness. This can be found o...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSleeping Rough: WomenMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110106More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will take steps to review the national definition of rough sleeping to help ensure it reflects the different ways women experience homelessness.
Answer: The government recognises that women experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping have different experiences and needs to men.In November 2025 the government published the Rough Sleeping Questionnaire deep dive on women’s homelessness. This can be found o...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHomelessness: WomenMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110105More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with local authorities on levels of female homelessness.
Answer: The government recognises that women experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping have different experiences and needs to men.In November 2025 the government published the Rough Sleeping Questionnaire deep dive on women’s homelessness. This can be found o...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
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