Written questions by McMahon.

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.

Representing the Church Commissioners, what estimate the Church has made of the value of community ownership transfer for church asset disposals in England.

Such an estimate has not been made by the National Church Institutions. Consecrated Church of England church buildings that have been declared closed under the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 can only be disposed of under the provisions of that Measure. The provisions of the Localism Act do not apply (even where such buildings have been designated as an Asset of Community Value).The Measure (and its predecessors) places upon the church authorities the responsibility to find the most suitable alternative use for such buildings, which enables us to dispose of them for less than market value, for uses that continue to serve the local community.Diocese and parishes are separate legal entities and, in the large majority of cases, the management of their other assets falls outside the remit of the National Church Institutions (except to suggest best practice).

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing free bus travel for care leavers in England.

The Government knows how important affordable bus services are in enabling young people to get to education, work and access vital services. The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as expanding the eligibility criteria to include care leavers, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability. As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government confirmed over £1 billion to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, which can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Greater Manchester Combined Authority has been allocated £66.4 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for care leavers.

What estimate he has made of the number of GP practice closures in (a) England, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Oldham since 2010.

NHS England has confirmed that since 1 April 2016, the total number of general practices (GPs) in England has reduced from 7,680 to 6,200, as of 1 November 2025.At a local level, NHS England holds information dating back to 2013. Across Greater Manchester there have been 31 GP closures since April 2013, of which six GP closures have been in Oldham.

What estimate she has made of the cost of repairing all potholes in England; and how much funding her Department has made available in each financial year where data is available.

This Government takes the condition of our country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and renewing the local highway network. This is why the Government announced a funding uplift of £500 million for the 2025/26 financial year, bringing the total to almost £1.6 billion. It is estimated that this funding will enable councils to cover the cost of filling 7 million potholes which goes well beyond our manifesto commitment to fill an additional million potholes each year.More widely, at the Spending Review the Chancellor confirmed that the Government will provide £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve our motorways and local roads across the country. This funding increase will allow National Highways and local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys. Between 2021-22 and 2025-26, the Department has allocated approximately £8 billion for local highways maintenance in England.This includes a range of funding sources including the Highways Maintenance Block, the Integrated Transport Block, Potholes Funding, Network North, the Local Transport Grant, and highways funding that has been consolidated into City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS).The figure is exclusive of baseline highways maintenance funding and Integrated Transport Block funding that has been consolidated into CRSTS funding for 2025/26. The Department has not split out how much of this funding is for highways maintenance as, by the nature of the funding, it is consolidated transport funding for local authorities to decide how best to use.The £226 million Local Transport Grant of 2025/26 is for local transport and maintenance more widely. Integrated Transport Block funding is for local transport maintenance and enhancements.Further information on these funding streams is available online, at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-maintenance-funding-allocationshttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/integrated-transport-block-allocations/integrated-transport-block-itb-allocations-2025-to-2026https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-transport-grant-allocations/local-transport-grant-ltg-allocations-2025-to-2026

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of hospital parking charges for (a) patients and (b) staff by hospital trust in England.

No assessment has been made of the trends in the level of hospital parking charges.All National Health Service trusts that charge for hospital car parking provide free parking for those ‘in-most need’. This includes frequent outpatient attenders, parents of sick children staying overnight, blue badge disabled holders, and NHS staff working overnight.NHS trusts are expected to follow the principles set out in the NHS Car Parking Guidance. The guidance makes clear that charges, where they exist, should be reasonable for the area. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles

What assessment she has made of the potential impact pf (a) mobile phone and (b) broadband contract increases on inflation in (a) each year since 2020 and (b) each forecasted year her Department holds data on.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for producing the UK’s official inflation statistics. These capture the contribution of particular sectors of the economy to inflation. Mobile phone and broadband services sit within the “Telephone and telefax equipment and services” class of the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) basket.HM Treasury does not produce forecasts for the UK economy. Forecasting 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. The Chancellor has asked departments to prioritise reducing inflation when developing policies for the Autumn Budget, ensuring decisions support stability and long-term growth.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the potential merits of (a) co-operative and (b) mutual forms of ownership in the water industry.

The Independent Water Commission’s (IWC) final report in July found that there is no clear relationship between water company ownership models and outcomes. The commission states that ‘With regard to alternative not-for-profit, or similar models that might be proposed by existing or prospective owners (as with Welsh Water and Kelda), the Commission believes that these models are viable and might be beneficial in some cases but that proposals need to be considered on a case-by-case basis’. The Government is considering the IWC’s recommendations and will provide a full response in a White Paper later this year.

Which countries are subject to prisoner transfer suspensions as a result of (a) human rights concerns, (b) corruption and risk bribery concerns and (c) any other reasons.

We have Prisoner Transfer Agreements (PTAs) in place with over 110 countries, both bilaterally, and multilaterally through the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. We do not have any suspensions in place, each individual transfer is considered on a case-by-case basis and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service will not transfer someone if they have reason to suspect their human rights will be contravened, or that they are at risk of corrupt release.

How many prisoners released on license into supported accommodation went on to reoffend in each local authority area in each year from 2015 to date.

This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Performance statistics on housing and accommodation outcomes for people supervised by the Probation Service are published annually and can be accessed via the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-accommodation-outcome-statistics Proven reoffending statistics are published quarterly and include data broken down by the accommodation status on release under tab C3 in the ‘Proven reoffending tables’ document. The series can be accessed by the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics

What his planned timetable is for bringing forward legalisation to expunge the criminal records of victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation which were obtained during the period of abuse.

We already have an appeals system in place which can quash convictions of victims of child sexual exploitation, so no legislation is needed to expunge criminal records.My officials are working with the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to ensure it is properly resourced to review the applications from victims who believe they were unjustly convicted when their position as a victim was not properly understood. Where appropriate, the CCRC will then refer individual convictions to the relevant appeal court.

How many prisoners on license were released to supported accommodation in each local authority area in each year from 2015 to date.

This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Performance statistics on housing and accommodation outcomes for people supervised by the Probation Service are published annually and can be accessed via the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-accommodation-outcome-statistics Proven reoffending statistics are published quarterly and include data broken down by the accommodation status on release under tab C3 in the ‘Proven reoffending tables’ document. The series can be accessed by the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics

What independent support has been put in place to support victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation ahead of the national inquiry.

We recognise the devastating impacts that child sexual exploitation and abuse can have on victims and survivors and are committed to ensuring that specialist support is provided to help victims and survivors rebuild and move forward with their lives.It will be up to the national inquiry, once established, to establish its own processes to engage and support victims and survivors.In the meantime, victims and survivors participating in the inquiry set-up engagement process, coordinated by the National Working Group (NWG) charity, 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 Home Office also launched the invitation-to-tender for the national Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship (ICTG) Service contract in September 2025, which will expand coverage from two thirds of local authorities in England and Wales to all local authorities in England and Wales.The service provides specialist modern slavery and child exploitation expertise to ensure child victims are protected from further harm, prevent possible repeat victimisation or re-trafficking, and promote the child’s recovery. It supports child victims of sexual exploitation and grooming who have been referred into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), and the professionals working with them.The Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC) provides specialist support to adult victims of exploitation and trafficking who have been identified through the NRM in England and Wales. This includes adults who experienced sexual exploitation as children.

How many dual-national offenders whose British citizenship was revoked and who were transferred under prisoner transfer agreements have (a) served their full sentence and (b) been released early in the receiving state.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost. When a transfer occurs under a Prisoner Transfer Agreement, the receiving state becomes responsible for the enforcement of the sentence according to their domestic laws, including their relevant release arrangements.

Communities and Local Government, how much funding his Department plans to provide for (a) affordable and (b) social housing in (i) England, (ii) Greater Manchester and (iii) Oldham in each of the next five years.

I refer the hon. Member to the Social and Affordable Homes Programme 2026-2036: MHCLG policy statement to accompany guidance to bidders from Homes England and the Greater London Authority published on 7 November. It can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) rent arrears and (b) tenant to landlord debt in the social housing sector in England.

The number of social rented households self-reporting that they had been in arrears can be found in the English Housing Survey on gov.uk here. The total amount due in arrears by local authority tenants, both current and previous, can be found in Section H of the Local Authority Housing Statistics (LAHS) available on gov.uk here. Information on rent arrears owed to Private Registered Providers of social housing can be found in the quarterly surveys published by the Regulator of Social Housing on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of housing conditions in the (a) private rented, (b) social housing and (c) co-operative housing sector in England.

The government monitors housing conditions through the English Housing Survey and the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).The latest English Housing Survey figures show that 21% of private rented sector properties are classed as non-decent, and 10% have a Category 1 hazard under the HHSRS.In the social rented sector, 10% of homes are non-decent, and 4% have a Category 1 hazard. Co-operative housing is not treated as a separate sector and is included within these figures.The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 will extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector and introduce a Decent Homes Standard for privately rented homes for the first time. Social housing already operates under the Decent Homes Standard, and enforcement is being strengthened through the Social Housing Regulation Act, under which the first phase of Awaab’s Law has come into force.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of sewage discharges in the North West on (a) social and (b) economic well-being.

Our landmark Water (Special Measures) Act will introduce independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish real-time data for all emergency overflows. Discharges will have to be reported within an hour of the initial spill. We have begun rebuilding the water network to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. In one of the largest infrastructure projects in this country’s history, £104 billion is being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and sewage treatment works across the country.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2024 to Question 13425 on Budget October 2024, whether its definition of working people has changed.

A working person is someone who goes out to work and works for their income.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) social and (b) economic benefits of theatres in towns; and what support the Department has provided to help secure the future of the Oldham Coliseum Theatre.

The Government recognises the vital role of theatre in enriching communities across the country and provides funding primarily through Arts Council England (ACE). Expanding access to high-quality theatre remains a shared priority for the Government and ACE. Across all ACE funding programmes for the financial year 2024/25, ACE awarded around £300 million to theatres/theatre based organisations.In 2023, Oldham Council secured £1.845 million from ACE to enhance creative and cultural activity in the borough, with a strong focus on theatre. This funding supports a vibrant cultural programme for residents and visitors, delivered in partnership with organisations such as Oldham Theatre Workshop and Oldham Coliseum Theatre. The Council has a four-year business plan to redevelop, reopen, and operate the Coliseum Theatre on Fairbottom Street. This work aligns with Oldham’s Cultural Strategy, the Creating a Better Place Programme, and ACE’s Let’s Create strategy.