Written questions by McMahon.

How many further education courses for 16-18 year olds were not completed in the last five years; and what the estimated cost was of providing those placements in England.

Education and training achievement rates are available in the ‘Further education and skills’ statistics publication, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-and-skills/2024-25#content-9.The department does not hold data on the estimated cost of providing those placements in England.Funding for students who withdraw from their studies during the academic year is reduced through the retention factor in the 16 to 19 funding formula. This has the effect of funding withdrawn students at 50% of their funding band’s rate. This recognises that there is a cost to institutions in delivering programmes to students who do not complete.

What proportion of dispersed accommodation procured by her Department in (a) Greater Manchester and (b) Oldham is in Selective Landlord Licensing areas.

The Home Office holds seven Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts across the UK. The Home Office has contracted Serco Ltd as the AASC Provider for the North West region, including Greater Manchester. Responsibility for the provision of all dispersal accommodation in Greater Manchester therefore lies Serco Ltd. This includes the management of all subcontractors.The Home Office does not hold contracts with other suppliers for the direct provision of dispersal accommodation and support services in Greater Manchester.Further information on the Home Office’s contract with Serco Ltd is available here: AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder.

How many (a) male and (b) female prison staff were found to have had (i) inappropriate personal and (ii) criminal relationships with prisoners in each year since 2015.

The overwhelming majority of prison staff are hardworking and honest; we are determined to root out any who are not.Information in relation to numbers of investigations and conduct and discipline cases can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hm-prison-probation-service-staff-equalities-report-2023-2024/hm-prison-and-probation-service-annual-staff-equalities-report-2023-to-2024#investigations-and-conduct--discipline-cases.As investigations and conduct and discipline cases may involve multiple charges, and multiple outcomes in relation the different parts of the case, it would not be possible to obtain the information requested in relation to outcomes without incurring disproportionate cost.His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) has been working on raising professional standards, with the aim of giving staff greater confidence to report evidence of wrongdoing, and this may have had an impact on case numbers.HMPPS’s Counter-Corruption Unit detects, disrupts and deters activities of those suspected of wrongdoing. It provides support to prisons and the Probation Service, with specialist staff working with the police to support investigations.

What assessment her Department has made of the affordability of motor insurance in areas of higher deprivation.

The Government is committed to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce, launched in October 2024, is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector. This taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums.The taskforce’s final report is expected to be published shortly.

What estimate her Department has made of waiting times by test centre in England for learner drivers undertaking a (a) Theory test and (b) Practical driving test.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) have a key performance indicator (KPI) requiring that theory test candidates will wait on average no more than 28 calendar days from booking to their appointment. Despite unprecedented levels of high demand for theory tests, this KPI is consistently met. The average waiting time for a car practical driving test in October 2025 in England was 22.4 weeks. The attached Excel spreadsheet shows the average waiting time in weeks at driving test centres (DTC) in England, as of October 2025. Please note that this spreadsheet also includes DTCs, such as part-time test centres, which do not count towards the official waiting time measure mentioned above. Also please note that DTCs included in the official measure can change, for example for temporary or permanent closures, or other operational reasons.

How many online marketplace sellers have been required to pay a tax liability following a HMRC tax inquiry, and what was the average amount owed.

HMRC does not segment it's data by trade sector, so is not able to accurately identify the number of businesses in any one sector which have been subject to a HMRC Tax Enquiry.

What is the (a) cost and (b) number of HMRC staff undertaking inquiries into online marketplace sellers.

The department is unable to provide an exact breakdown in the cost or number of staff involved in this work. This is because HMRC takes a risk-based approach to compliance, and so tax enquiries into online marketplace sellers can fall into a number of different compliance areas. Staff involved will work across a variety of business types and in most cases will not be solely working on this one trade sector.

What assessment her Department has made of the impact of “historic vehicle” status on preserving Britain's motoring heritage.

Classic and historic vehicles are a testament to British innovation and the Government is committed to supporting this sector. Following a call for evidence, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) worked closely with historic vehicle stakeholders and in August 2025 new policies were introduced to support vehicles that have been repaired, restored and modified. The new guidance supports historic vehicle keepers and the wider industry with clearer registration processes that reflect modern restoration and modification practices.The feedback from the historic and classic vehicle sector is that the new policies reflect a pragmatic approach and address the major issues raised. The new policy has alleviated many of the difficulties associated with the previous policies.

How many companies registered with Companies House were a). trading b). dormant and c). pending strike off action for each year from 2015 to date.

The following table shows the total size of the Register of Companies and the trading status of companies in the specified periods:Financial YearTotal register at end of periodTrading StatusTradingDormant2015-163,678,8603,191,442487,4182016-173,896,7553,398,018498,7372017-184,033,3553,528,417504,9382018-194,202,0443,681,450520,5942019-204,350,9133,811,504539,4092020-214,716,1264,159,227556,8992021-224,894,3564,294,680599,6762022-235,116,7434,474,920641,8232023-245,350,7594,697,033653,7262024-255,427,7874,757,947669,840The following table shows the status of entities on the register at the start and end of the reporting period:Financial YearTotal register at end of periodEffective register at end of periodIn course of dissolutionIn liquidation2015-163,678,8603,433,780160,41984,6612016-173,896,7553,648,478159,80288,4752017-184,033,3553,770,022172,45590,8782018-194,202,0443,926,374185,06590,6052019-204,350,9134,064,063194,04992,8012020-214,716,1264,410,236210,73295,1582021-224,894,3564,499,342293,784101,2302022-235,116,7434,645,402364,998106,3432023-245,350,7594,876,374365,033109,3522024-255,427,7874,872,293443,076112,418Figures in both tables are extracted from management information. They are unaudited and subject to change.Due to timing differences, discrepancies can occur between the register status statistics and the trading status statistics. Consequently, the trading status statistics have been adjusted proportionally to align with the Official Statistics publication.A review of the statistics regularly published is ongoing.

How many enforcement test purchases have taken place for underage knife sales in England (a) in person at premises and (b) online in each year since 2015.

The Home Office does not hold data by year since 2015 of the number of test purchases online and at premises by trading standards undertaken for underage knife sales.

How many council tax accounts her Department's contractors maintained for dispersed accommodation in (a) England (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Oldham in each year since 2015.

The Home Office does not hold the information requested. The Home Office expects the highest standards from accommodation providers. A detailed breakdown of all of the services to be undertaken by accommodation providers and the standards we expect can be found in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC) Statement of Requirements: AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdfAll Accommodation must comply with the relevant standards for Accommodation defined in Annex B, and the rules relating to sharing and relocations defined in Annex C of this Schedule 2. The AASC contracts include robust mechanisms for incentivising the provider to deliver on the contractual requirements set out therein. The Home Office also employs a dedicated contract assurance team whose conduct property inspections and assurance reviews.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of consumer protections relating to private parking companies.

The Government is aware of motorist concerns regarding poor practice from some private parking operators and is determined to raise standards. In accordance with the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, the government is preparing a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities. The government has recently consulted on its proposals for a new code of practice for private parking operators to follow. The consultation closed on 26 September, and the government will respond in due course.

What estimate has been made of the average age of (a) passenger carrier vehicle buses and coaches, (b) private hire taxis and (c) Hackney carriages in England for each year from 2015 to date.

The Department does not hold data on the average age of buses or coaches.However, the Department publishes data on the proportion of local buses by year of manufacture in the Annual Bus Statistics. Figures for the latest year are available in Table BUS06f, and data for previous years can be found in earlier publications: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/bus-statistics-data-tables#vehicles-operated-by-local-bus-operators-bus06. Prior to 2022 average age of the bus fleet was collected instead of year of manufacture.The Department also publishes data on the average age of taxis and private hire vehicles in the Taxi and Private Hire Statistics. Figures for the latest year are available in Table TAXI0116, and data for previous years can be found in earlier publications: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/taxi01-taxis-private-hire-vehilces-and-their-drivers. The Department does not hold these data for years prior to 2020.The Department does not hold data on the average age of Hackney carriages.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of import duties on goods entering the UK from the EU on inflation.

Latest data from the Department for Business and Trade shows that 94.9% of goods entering Great Britain from the EU did so tariff-free in 2023, broadly unchanged from 94.7% in 2022. This data is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/preference-utilisation-of-uk-trade-in-goods-2023/preference-utilisation-of-uk-goods-in-2023.The Government wants to find ways to make it easier for businesses to trade with our partners and so is seeking views on potential UK accession to the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention on Rules of Origin through a call for evidence led by the Department for Business and Trade. You can find this information here: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/pan-euro-mediterranean-convention-on-rules-of-origin-pemForecasting the economy, including the impact of Government policy decisions, is the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which published its latest forecast on 26 March 2025. HM Treasury does not produce forecasts for the UK economy and has not made an assessment of the impact of import duties on inflation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what is the total consumer debt outstanding for each water company in England and Wales for each year from 2015 to date.

Ofwat is the economic regulator for the water sector in England and Wales. In January 2025, Ofwat published a report analysing consumer debt that outlines key statistics on debt for household customers in England and Wales (please see page 49 for a summary of each water company). This information was not collected before 2023.

How much her Department's contractors have spent on repairs for dispersed accommodation in (a) England (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Oldham in each year since 2015.

The Home Office does not hold the information requested. The Home Office expects the highest standards from accommodation providers. A detailed breakdown of all of the services to be undertaken by accommodation providers and the standards we expect can be found in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC) Statement of Requirements: AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdfAll Accommodation must comply with the relevant standards for Accommodation defined in Annex B, and the rules relating to sharing and relocations defined in Annex C of this Schedule 2. The AASC contracts include robust mechanisms for incentivising the provider to deliver on the contractual requirements set out therein. The Home Office also employs a dedicated contract assurance team whose conduct property inspections and assurance reviews.

Whether he plans to expand support for armed forces cadet units in England.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 September 2025 to Question 76173 to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Dr Al Pinkerton).

How many gas safety certificates were verified by her Department's contractors for dispersed accommodation in (a) England, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Oldham in each year since 2015.

The Home Office does not hold the information requested. The Home Office expects the highest standards from accommodation providers. A detailed breakdown of all of the services to be undertaken by accommodation providers and the standards we expect can be found in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC) Statement of Requirements: AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdfAll Accommodation must comply with the relevant standards for Accommodation defined in Annex B, and the rules relating to sharing and relocations defined in Annex C of this Schedule 2. The AASC contracts include robust mechanisms for incentivising the provider to deliver on the contractual requirements set out therein. The Home Office also employs a dedicated contract assurance team whose conduct property inspections and assurance reviews.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of rising energy costs on the viability of grassroots sporting clubs in England.

The Government is committed to supporting grassroots sport and ensuring everyone has access to high quality facilities. The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport in England through its Arm’s Length Body Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. They offer support to clubs impacted by increased energy costs. Sport England’s Movement Fund allocates 10% of the funding to clubs implementing measures to improve environmental sustainability and reduce energy costs. They also provide detailed guidance to sporting clubs on managing energy costs and making their facilities energy efficient.

How many (a) fines, (b) community punishments, (c) cautions and (d) custodial sentences have been administered for the illegal possession of nitrous oxide in England since November 2023.

The Home Office collects information on the number of notifiable offences, and their investigative outcomes, recorded by the police in England and Wales. This includes possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and possession of nitrous oxide with intent to supply.Information on the number of the Cautions, Community resolutions and Penalty Notices for Disorder for these offences issued between 1st November 2023 and 30th June 2025 are shown in the table below.OutcomesNovember 2023 to June 2025Caution - adult and youths100Community resolution3,265Penalty Notices for Disorder23Source: Home Office Data Hub, Police Recorded Crime and OutcomesThe Ministry of Justice publishes statistics on court sentencing outcomes including for the illegal possession of nitrous oxide in England and Wales. The latest published statistics for the period between 1st December 2023 and the 30th June 2025 are presented in the table below.Sentence OutcomeDecember 2023 to June 2025Fine139Community Sentence20Immediate Custody4Suspended Sentence3Source: Outcomes by Offences data tool, which can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics