Written questions by McMahon.

What assessment he has made of the regional representation of new peers appointed for each year since 2015 to the current December 2025 list.

The House of Lords works best when there is a diversity of perspectives represented, including from all the nations and regions of the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister published a statement in June 2025, setting out the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the appointments system, in which he emphasised that party leaders should consider national and regional representation when making nominations, to ensure the second chamber better reflects the country it serves.As a first step in reform of the House of Lords, the Government introduced the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill which removes the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords. The Government’s priority is to get this Bill on the statute book as soon as possible.

Whether he has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on (a) the potential merits of prioritising British made vehicles through procurement and (b) holding accurate data on the number of British and non-British made vehicles procured across Government and its agencies.

This Government is committed to ensuring public procurement drives growth across the UK and supports British businesses. We have consulted on procurement reforms to further boost domestic supply chains and create more opportunities for businesses across the UK, including across the vehicle manufacturing sector. We will be publishing the consultation outcome - and legislative proposals - soon. Data on the number of British and non-British made vehicles procured across the Government and its agencies is not held centrally.

How many Government-registered vehicles are declared as being off the road with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).

The Government Car Service (GCS) provides secure transport for Government Ministers and senior officials. There are currently no GCS vehicles declared as being off the road with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). Some other departments operate their own fleets of vehicles, about which the Cabinet Office does not hold information.

What plans the Government has to conduct an inquiry, investigation or review into foreign interference at elections and with elected members at all levels.

It is, and always will be, an absolute priority for this Government to protect our democratic and electoral processes. This is why on 18 November, I set out a Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan to disrupt and deter foreign influence and spying from foreign states. We recognise that elected representatives are potential targets for foreign influence and interference. In October 2025, the National Protective Security Agency published its guidance on how members of Parliament and their Parliamentary staff can protect themselves from foreign states and its proxies in relation to espionage and foreign interference.

How his Department measures its contribution to British vehicle manufacturing and skilled jobs through procurement.

This Government is committed to ensuring public procurement drives growth and creates jobs, skills and opportunities across the country. We have consulted on procurement reforms to further boost domestic supply chains and create more opportunities for businesses across the UK, including across the vehicle manufacturing sector. We will be publishing the consultation outcome - and legislative proposals - soon.

What steps he is taking to help make the House of Lords more representative of nations and regions; and whether he plans to conduct a comprehensive review on replacing the House of Lords with an alternative model.

As the Prime Minister set out in his statement of 19 June 2025 (HCWS718), the House of Lords works best when there is a diversity of perspectives represented, including from all the nations and regions of the United Kingdom. The Government believes party leaders should consider this when making nominations to ensure the second chamber better reflects the country it serves.The Government’s manifesto included a commitment to replace the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber that is more representative of the regions and nations. The Government will consult on proposals, seeking the input of the British public on how politics can best serve them.

How many copies of each UK daily newspaper did the government purchase for each year from 2015 to date.

The information requested is not held centrally.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of cross-Government working in the context of the disbanding of Mission Boards.

Mission Boards have been reformed to become delivery-focused forums benefitting from external and industry expertise, led by the relevant Secretary of State. Departments will continue to work collaboratively with each other and external experts to achieve the Government’s missions.

How many FTE civil servants there were across Government in England by region in each year since 2010.

Information on the number of FTE civil servants by region is published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics. This information can be found at Table 10 of each of the annual publications data tables available at the link below. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics#annual-statistics

What proportion of civil servants have working class backgrounds.

As committed in the Declaration on Government Reform and in order to better serve the public, the government must ensure it draws on the talent of people from the widest possible range of geographical, social and career backgrounds. We will make sure that citizens who have experienced disadvantages in their early lives are able to flourish in public service. According to the Civil Service People Survey 2024, 33% of civil servants responding to the survey come from a working class background. Specifically, based on the NS-SEC index for parental occupation, 30% of respondents to the survey were from a routine background and 3% from a never worked one. To note that these figures are based on the 60% of civil servants that completed the survey in 2024.

How much his Department spent on legal advice for Freedom of Information requests which were first declined and subsequently provided following challenges by (a) internal review, (b) Information Commissioner ruling and (c) first tier tribunal ruling in the last 12 months.

The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

How many employer provided payment cards were held by government employees in each year since 2015; and what the average credit limit is of those cards.

This information is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office. However, in April this year, departments and their agencies were instructed to freeze all procurement cards, with a tough new application process to cut the numbers in circulation by at least 50%. Figures announced on 23rd November 2025 show that these measures have successfully reduced expenditure, saving approximately £6 million per month in the initial months.

How much the Government has spent on advertisements and subscriptions with (a) X, (b) Meta, (c) Tiktok and (d) Alphabet Inc. Google in each year since 2015.

The government uses paid advertising to communicate important government announcements and campaigns that affect the public. Please refer to the table below for Government spend on advertisements and subscriptions (please note - figures from 2015-2018 are not available): 2018*201920202021202220232024X£340,670.00£2,482,367.00£9,213,054.00£9,166,707.00£5,384,846.00£2,385,782.00£-Meta£1,916,697.00£18,711,558.00£31,824,185.00£33,354,026.00£20,630,493.00£20,332,721.00£17,195,792.00TikTok£-£-£1,850,770.00£3,489,387.00£618,346.00£96,268.00£204,553.00Alphabet (inc Google)£2,036,387.00£17,968,414.00£28,121,714.00£23,808,972.00£23,132,702.00£26,326,818.00£20,840,036.00 £4,293,754.00£39,162,339.00£71,009,723.00£69,819,092.00£49,766,387.00£49,141,589.00£38,240,381.00 *Please note the figures for 2018 are partial year spend due to contract changes.

How many government (a) mobile phones (b) laptops (c) tablets were reported lost or stolen for each year from 2015 to date.

This answer only provides information for the Cabinet Office, Government Digital Service (GDS) and the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) IT Provision. This answer is not inclusive of Number 10. It also only extends back to 3rd July 2018 as records before this date are not held centrally by the Cabinet Office. The table also lists reported equipment. Some of this equipment may have been recovered after having been reported. Also please note that GDS & CDDO moved to DSIT earlier this year and as such, their contribution to the metrics will have reduced.EquipmentYear20182019202020212022202320242025 (to date)Laptop68111625067577846Mobile101221118118147160171149Tablet00000032

How much the Government spent on office furniture in each year since 2015.

Spend by the Government on office furniture is a matter for each individual government department and is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.

How many times gambling websites were visited by government system users in each year since 2015.

This information is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office. All users are bound by an ICT Acceptable Usage Policy which states that users must not undertake any form of gambling on Cabinet Office IT. Any breach is managed through the Cabinet Office’s disciplinary process.

What proportion of household income is spent on (a) Council tax, (b) Income tax, (c) National Insurance and (d) VAT by income decile.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 17th November is attached.

What estimate his Department has made of the cost of Government procurement of (a) British and (b) non-British made vehicles in each of the last three years.

The Department has not made any estimates of these costs as internationally integrated supply chains make detailed comparative cost assessments highly complex.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Ministerial Code.

The Prime Minister has made clear public service is a privilege and is committed to restoring trust in government by ensuring ministers are held to the highest standards. Last year the Prime Minister published a new, strengthened, Ministerial Code which sets out the standards expected of all government ministers. It includes a full articulation of the Seven Principles of Public Life, bringing the importance of public service to the front and fore of the Code. This commitment was further demonstrated in October when the Prime Minister updated the Ministerial Code. This update implemented reforms in relation to ministerial severance payments and changes to the operation of the Business Appointment Rules.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of public sector procurement with local suppliers in each English region in each year between 2010 and 2025.

Information on the effectiveness of public sector procurement with local suppliers in each English region is not held centrally. This Government is determined to ensure public procurement delivers jobs, growth and investment across all regions of the UK. Our National Procurement Policy Statement encourages contracting authorities to consider how procurement can foster economic growth, support small businesses, strengthen UK supply chains and drive delivery of the Government’s Industrial Strategy and missions. We are considering additional measures to further assist local suppliers and support British skills and jobs.