Written questions by McMahon.

How many (a) mopeds, (b) motorbikes, including scramblers, (c) electric scooters, (d) electric bikes and (e) quad bikes; were seized and disposed of by (i) crushing or breaking and (ii) selling for reuse by police forces in England in the most recent year the data is available.

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of mopeds, motorbikes, electric scooters, electric bikes, or quad bikes that have been seized or disposed of by police in England and Wales.Decisions on the seizure and disposal of mopeds, motorbikes, electric scooters, electric bikes, or quad bikes are for police, who have the expertise and knowledge to make operational decisions.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies educational attainment of boys and girls by (a) ethnicity and (b) social class in (i) England, (ii) Greater Manchester and (iii) Oldham.

All children and young people should have every opportunity to succeed. However, educational inequalities exist across the country and at every phase of education, particularly for white working-class children.These gaps, whether in Oldham or nationally, are not acceptable.Through the government’s Plan for Change, we are tackling these inequalities. The department will invest close to £1.5 billion over the next three years on improving family services and early years education to close gaps.The department is rolling out expanded government-funded childcare entitlements and creating thousands of school-based nurseries to increase the provision of quality childcare. We will fund Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority ensuring children and families needing support most, especially those from low-income backgrounds or with additional vulnerabilities, can access it. This includes building on the great work already done by Oldham’s seven family hubs funded in this financial year.We are expanding free school meals to all children on Universal Credit from September 2026 and have delivered record increases to early years pupil premium.This is alongside work to drive high and rising school standards, including regional improvement for standards and excellence attainment conferences with the North-West conference open to schools in Oldham.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of co-operative public service broadcasting in the UK.

Ahead of the upcoming Charter Review, the Secretary of State has said that, to maintain the BBC as an institution, it must be accountable to those who fund it - the British people. The Government intends to keep an open mind about how the BBC can achieve that aim.The Government has not made any wider assessment of the merits of co-operatives to the UK’s system of public service broadcasting.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proceeds of crime funding in England directed towards tackling youth criminal exploitation and gangs.

Funds recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) are distributed under the Home Office’s Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS). The objective of ARIS is to drive asset recovery performance, by providing agencies with incentives to use POCA powers to recover more criminal assets, with the overall aim of cutting crime and delivering justice.Under the scheme, a proportion of the assets recovered using powers under POCA are redistributed to the agencies involved in the recovery, based on their relative contributions. The current allocation sees ARIS receipts split 50:50 between central government and operational partners.In the spirit of the Scheme, the Government encourages agencies to use ARIS funds to increase asset recovery and, where appropriate, fund local crime fighting priorities for the benefit of the community. However, the use of ARIS allocations/payments is a matter for each agency and is left to their discretion. Further information on ARIS and how funds are spent can be found here: Asset recovery statistics: financial years ending 2020 to 2025 - GOV.UK

How many prisoners were released to accommodation in each local authority area in each year since 2015.

This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. While data on prisoners released into accommodation is held centrally, that is not broken down by Local Authority.Performance statistics on housing and accommodation outcomes for people supervised by the Probation Service are published annually. These are broken down by probation region and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-accommodation-outcome-statistics.

Communities and Local Government, whether councillors in England are required to register unredacted (a) business and (b) commercial interests held (i) directly or (ii) through limited companies on their register of interests.

Under the Localism Act 2011, councillors must declare certain business and wider financial interests they might have, including all employment and any beneficial interest in companies if the interest is within the local authority area or if it exceeds a specified value. These details are published in full on the local authority’s register of interests unless the councillor and monitoring officer agree disclosure could expose the councillor or a connected person to violence or intimidation and class it is a ‘sensitive interest’. Government guidance on councillor interests is published online.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of youth councils on young people.

We recognise the important role youth councils can play in young people’s lives and youth services. This includes empowering them to propose ideas, connecting them with local decision-makers, and enhancing a sense of community belonging and connection. Each youth council is different to reflect the needs of the local area or setting. Youth councils assist government and local authorities in designing services and support that meet their needs. The best youth councils are invited to co-create youth provision or wider services focused on young people locally, ensuring public money is spent wisely in a way that addresses their needs. This year, DCMS is running the Local Youth Transformation Pilot which will support local authorities to build back capacity in the youth space and improve local youth offers. DCMS is committed to enabling effective youth empowerment, involving young people in decision making at all levels. We are co-producing the National Youth Strategy in partnership with young people, drawing together the voices of over 14,000 young people who engaged in the National Youth Strategy Survey. We will publish the National Youth Strategy later in the year.

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 she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of bank closures on footfall in (a) town centres and (b) high streets.

Banking is changing, with many customers benefiting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. Whilst the Government does not make estimates regarding the impact of branch closures on town centre footfall, the Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to high streets and is committed to championing sufficient access for customers. That is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs on high streets across the UK by the end of this Parliament. More than 240 hubs have been announced so far, and over 190 are already open.This Government is fully committed to rejuvenating our high streets and supporting the businesses and communities that make our town centres successful. Alongside the £5bn funding for Pride in Place, we have announced a suite of tools to support communities to improve their high streets, including: High Street Rental Auctions giving councils the power to auction the lease of long-term vacant premises; a Community Right to Buy for communities to take ownership of local buildings they value; and streamlining the compulsory purchase process to help local authorities regenerate high streets.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the local democracy reporting service on providing (a) public service accountability and (b) fact based local reporting.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) supports the vital role of local news, helping communities and local businesses to scrutinise decisions that impact them and holding public services to account through fact-based local reporting. The Government welcomed the recent retendering of LDRS contracts and the extension of the scheme until the end of the current BBC Charter period (December 2027). Separately, we are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. As part of this work, we are exploring the role of the BBC in the local news market, including the contribution made by the LDRS, as we move towards the next Charter Review. We are working across Government and with other stakeholders as the Strategy develops. An industry working group was set up in June to consider the issues in more detail and has been meeting regularly since then, including with BBC representatives to discuss the LDRS. More will be announced on the Strategy in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support new farming entrants in England.

Our young farmers are vital to the future of UK farming, and we work closely with the National Federation of Young Farmers to consider how best to support them. To secure that future for young farmers, we are investing £2.7 billion annually and developing a 25-year roadmap to boost profitability.

What estimate she has made of the non-recoverable cost of policing football matches in England in each year between 2015 and 2025.

The Home Office does not routinely collect information on these areas of police costs.However, we are exploring ways for the police to improve cost recovery for managing private events, including football matches, and are working with stakeholders to understand the costs involved.

What estimate she has made of the cost of policing public protests in England in each year between 2015 and 2025.

The Home Office does not routinely collect information on these areas of police costs.However, we are exploring ways for the police to improve cost recovery for managing private events, including football matches, and are working with stakeholders to understand the costs involved.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of police force public procurement in buying British made vehicles.

The Home Office does not prescribe requirements on police forces in relation to buying British vehicles.It is a matter for each Force to assess and procure products and services that are proportionate to local needs to ensure effective policing for their area, and within their existing budget.

How much funding his Department plans to provide to help support hospitals to provide adequate levels of car parking for visitors in the next 12 months.

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of hospital parking charges. Hospitals in England are permitted to charge users for car parking, but those charges must be reasonable and in line with local charges. The revenue from hospital car parking is used to maintain car park facilities and any surplus income is put back into the National Health Service. The following table shows the income from car parking from patients and visitors as well as staff in 2023/24 and 2022/23: Income from car parking - patients and visitorsIncome from car parking - staff2023/24£172,332,199£70,510,1102022/23£145,873,556£46,653,234 Data on the income from car parking charges is published annually through the NHS Estates Return Information Collection, which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection/summary-page-and-dataset-for-eric-2024-25In 2025/26, the Department is backing the NHS with over £4 billion in operational capital, enabling local NHS organisations to allocate funding to local priorities, which could include hospital car parking.

What estimate he has made of the value of unclaimed benefits by each benefit in (a) England, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Oldham.

On 30 October 2025 the Department published Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2024, covering Pension Credit and Housing Benefit for pensioners in Great Britain. As these estimates are based on survey data, they are not available for lower-level geographies. On the same day the Department also published Households potentially eligible for Pension Credit, 2023 to 2024, a sub-national analysis of eligible households in receipt of Pension Credit and potentially eligible households not claiming Pension Credit. Estimates are not currently available for other DWP benefits, however on 15 May 2025 the Department published Unfulfilled eligibility in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates, providing estimates of how much extra money benefit claimants in Great Britain could be getting if they told us accurately about their circumstances. It does not cover take-up of benefits, which is where people could have claimed certain benefits based on their current circumstances but have not done so. As these estimates are based on sample data, they are not available for lower-level geographies.

What estimate she has made of the number of licensed private hire drivers with criminal convictions for (a) sexual and (b) violence against the person in offences in England.

All licensing authorities in England have a duty to ensure that any person to whom they grant a taxi or private hire vehicle driver’s licence is a fit and proper person to be a licensee and that they remain so throughout the duration of the licence. As part of this assessment all licensing authorities have reported that they undertake an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check and check both the children’s and adults’ barred lists.Licensing authorities make decisions based on “the balance of probability”, so when determining whether a driver remains fit and proper to hold a licence, a driver should not be given the benefit of the doubt. If a licensing authority is only fifty percent certain as to whether a licensee is fit and proper, they should not hold a licence. The threshold used here is lower than for a criminal conviction (that being beyond reasonable doubt). This means that driver licences may be revoked even if any safety concerns do not result in a criminal conviction.

What the point of contact is for the local inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Oldham for victims and survivors; (a) when and (b) how the terms of reference for that inquiry will be consulted on; and what (i) safeguarding and (ii) wellbeing support is in place to support those victims and survivors.

In June this year, Baroness Casey published her independent audit into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, and the Government accepted every recommendation it made, including establishing a new national inquiry. The national inquiry, equipped with statutory powers under the Inquiries Act 2005, will direct targeted local investigations in specific areas.The former Home Secretary previously committed in January to provide guidance and establish a £5 million fund which would have supported non-statutory local inquiries. Given that we have since committed to establish a national inquiry with statutory powers, undertaking local investigations, we have discontinued work related to the previously announced guidance and £5 million fund.In relation to Oldham specifically, the former Home Secretary made a commitment to support Oldham Council in undertaking their own local inquiry. The Department has been in discussions with Oldham Council about the right approach for Oldham, in light of the Government’s commitment to a new national inquiry. We intend to confirm the proposed approach for Oldham alongside further details about the national inquiry in due course.With regards to safeguarding and wellbeing support, we are committed to ensuring specialist support is provided to victims and survivors. We are currently engaging with victims and survivors participating in the consultation group supporting the establishment of the national inquiry, coordinated by the National Working Group (NWG) charity. This includes ensuring they are able to access support, including therapeutic support (via the NWG).We are also providing £2.59 million in 2025-26 for the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Fund, providing a range of support services with national reach.The national inquiry, once established, will develop its own plans for engaging and supporting victims and survivors.

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of hospital parking charges on (a) staff and (b) visitors to hospitals; and what information he holds on the total cost of such charges in the last 12 months.

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of hospital parking charges. Hospitals in England are permitted to charge users for car parking, but those charges must be reasonable and in line with local charges. The revenue from hospital car parking is used to maintain car park facilities and any surplus income is put back into the National Health Service. The following table shows the income from car parking from patients and visitors as well as staff in 2023/24 and 2022/23: Income from car parking - patients and visitorsIncome from car parking - staff2023/24£172,332,199£70,510,1102022/23£145,873,556£46,653,234 Data on the income from car parking charges is published annually through the NHS Estates Return Information Collection, which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection/summary-page-and-dataset-for-eric-2024-25In 2025/26, the Department is backing the NHS with over £4 billion in operational capital, enabling local NHS organisations to allocate funding to local priorities, which could include hospital car parking.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of devolution in England on post 16 education.

As set out in the English Devolution White Paper, Strategic Authorities have a key role in ensuring there are clear pathways of progression from education into further and higher education and local employment opportunities. The government values the insight and local accountability of Strategic Authorities and is proceeding with the devolution of adult education functions to tailor training opportunities and drive growth.Strategic Authorities help shape the training offer in their region through joint ownership of Local Skills Improvement Plans and can work with their constituent councils to plan provision locally.Education for 16 to 19-year-olds is distinct and forms part of the compulsory education and training system. It offers young people high quality options that enable their transition into apprenticeships, employment, or further learning, such as higher education or higher technical programs. These options support the development of a skilled workforce and break down the barriers to opportunity.