Written questions by Morton.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to HCWS1249, what estimate he has made of the number of legacy digital systems in use across government; what timetable exists for decommissioning the highest-risk systems, what resources are available to support “secure by design” requirements; and what assessment has been made of the impact of the government vulnerability scanning service.

The most recent assessment of the scale of legacy systems across the public sector was conducted as part of the State of Digital Government Review, which found that 28% of public sector systems were identified as legacy IT. Individual departments remain responsible for addressing their highest risk systems. While DSIT provides oversight, it does not hold central information on all these plans.The Secure by Design approach provides delivery and project teams with clear principles and activities to follow to increase the cyber resilience and security of new and emerging systems, services and technology infrastructure. A central DSIT team supports them through a community of champions, nominated by their respective organisation.Over 700 public sector organisations have now signed up to the vulnerability scanning service, with the service finding and helping fix over 100 critical vulnerabilities a month.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to HCWS1249, how many AI-enabled tools are currently in live use across central government; which policy areas are included in the AI Exemplars Programme; what level of human oversight applies to AI-assisted decision-making; and how compliance with the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard is enforced.

Government departments are deploying a growing number of AI‑enabled tools, but there is no single mandated reporting mechanism that centrally tallies every operational tool. Work through the AI Opportunities Action Plan is improving visibility and consistent reporting across departments.The projects in the PM’s AI Exemplars span a wide range of policy areas including health and care, justice and probation, education, planning and local government, and migration and borders. All AI projects across Government are safeguarded by access to DSIT’s suite of responsible AI guidance, tools and expertise which enable rapid innovation whilst ensuring a transparent, trustworthy and responsible approach. The AI Playbook for Government for example provides departments and public sector organisations with accessible technical guidance on the responsible use of AI.The ATRS is mandatory for all government departments, and for ALBs which deliver public or frontline services, or directly interact with the public. Although it is a policy mandate rather than a legislative requirement, it is enforced through inclusion in processes such the DDaT Spend Controls; meaning that when a budget is requested for tools that fall within the scope of the ATRS, the team in question must commit to publishing an ATRS record before receiving funds.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is able to take to convene discussions between Birmingham City Council, its commissioners and recognised trade unions during ongoing industrial disputes.

The Secretary of State has powers set out in the Local Government Act 1999 to direct councils to take specific action he considers necessary or expedient to secure compliance with the Best Value Duty. This is a duty to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. To use such powers, the Secretary of State needs to be satisfied that the council is failing its Best Value Duty. These powers were used to establish the ongoing intervention at Birmingham City Council, whereby directions were given to the Council and Commissioners, as set in the Directions published on GOV.UK, to support the Council’s recovery and improvement journey. Commissioners have powers relating to governance, finance and recruitment which they can use according to their expert judgement and discretion. The department engages regularly with Birmingham City Council and Commissioners, as is normal for all Councils under intervention, and continues to monitor the disruption caused by the bin strikes and the associated impact to the residents of the city. The waste dispute is a local issue and is rightly being dealt with by the Council. The Government has no formal role in negotiations.

With reference to the written statement of 19 January 2026 entitled A roadmap for modern digital government 2025-2030, HCWS1249, what estimate he has made of expected take-up of the proposed national digital identity scheme by 2030; whether any public services will require its use; what non-digital alternatives will remain available; and how the scheme will interact with existing identity verification systems used by local authorities and the NHS.

The scope of the digital ID scheme is still in development and we are inviting the public to have their say in the consultation as we develop an inclusive, trusted and useful system. This Government recognises that around 1.5 million people in the UK are digitally excluded. That’s why we will deliver an ambitious inclusion programme working closely with employers, trade unions, civil society groups, the devolved governments, and other stakeholders. Wider inclusion work is already underway - we set out a range of first steps in the Digital Inclusion Action Plan published in February last year and are working across government to reduce exclusion. There are no plans to make the national digital ID a requirement to access public services.

What assessment he has made of local labour market participation rates in the West Midlands.

The information requested is published and available at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp Guidance for users can be found at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.aspThe estimated participation rates can be found by selecting “Query data” on the NOMIS home page and selecting “Annual Population Survey/Labour Force Survey” and then “annual population survey (Dec 2004 to Jun 2025)” in the lists of data sources. The Geography will need to be set for the relevant ‘local authorities: district / unitary’ within the West Midlands. The Variable will need to be set to “Economic activity rate - aged 16-64”. West Midlands can also be selected in the ‘regions’ category to give participation rates for the whole region. Through our Get Britain Working Strategy, we are reforming employment, health, and skills support to tackle economic inactivity, support people into good work, and create an inclusive, thriving labour market. Specifically in the West Midlands, we are working with the West Midlands Combined Authority to deliver a Youth Trailblazer, which is testing how best to deliver and integrate work, health and skills support locally for young people. The West Midlands Combined Authority has also received their Connect to Work funding through their 2025/26 Integrated Settlement to deliver Supported Employment to disabled people, individuals with health conditions and people with complex barriers to employment. They will receive further Connect to Work funding in the 2026/27 – 2028/29 Integrated Settlement from April. Furthermore, all areas in England have been asked to develop a Local Get Britain Working plan. Led by local government and co-developed with local NHS, Jobcentre Plus and wider stakeholders, these plans will identify local labour market challenges and priorities, and support the integration of locally-delivered services. West Midlands Combined Authority have published their local Get Britain Working Plan, which can be found here: West Midlands Works

What steps she is taking to ensure all children can access cycle training at school.

This government is committed to increasing activity levels for all children. Schools have the flexibility to decide on the activities they provide to deliver a rounded and enriching education to suit their pupils’ needs.The government currently funds a cycling training programme called Bikeability, with the aims to equip more children and families with the skills, confidence, and knowledge needed to cycle safely on roads, while encouraging active travel in everyday life. This investment is part of a broader effort to support local authorities in developing and constructing walking, wheeling, and cycling facilities across England.The department welcomes the opportunity for continued collaboration with Bikeability to create sustainable improvements in physical activity for young people. For example, through active travel and promoting the overall wellbeing benefits of physical activity, including through cycling.

What steps she is taking to improve outcomes for children with special educational needs.

The department has recently announced £200 million of investment over the course of this Parliament to upskill staff in every school, college and nursery, ensuring a skilled workforce for generations to come. This builds on our £3 billion investment to create more specialist places and ensure more children and young people can thrive at a setting close to home.This government is determined to deliver reform that stands the test of time and rebuilds the confidence of families, which is why we have undertaken a national conversation to gather information and views from parents, teachers and experts in every region of the country so that lived experience and partnership are at the heart of our solutions.We will set out our plans for reform in the upcoming Schools White Paper, building on the work we’ve already done to create a system that’s rooted in inclusion, where children receive high-quality support early on and can thrive at their local school.

Communities and Local Government, what recent progress his Department has made in delivering 1.5 million new homes by the end of this Parliament.

I refer the Rt. hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 19066 on 20 December 2024.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of regulation of rented homes on landlords.

The Impact Assessment for the Renters’ Rights Act can be found here. The government’s policy statement, impact assessment, and response to the Decent Homes Standard consultation can be found on gov.uk here. The government’s response to the 2025 consultation on Improving the Energy Performance of Privately Rented Homes in England and Wales, along with the accompanying impact assessment, can be found on gov.uk here.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of current employment support programmes in former industrial areas.

Our Get Britain Working Labour Market Insights publication contains a range of analysis of how labour markets are performing in different types of labour market across the country - including former industrial areas - Get Britain Working: Labour Market Insights - GOV.UK. We are committed to ensuring employment support meets the needs of local areas. To do this, we are: Rolling out Connect to Work across England and Wales, which is a voluntary, locally commissioned, Supported Employment programme for individuals that are disabled, have a health condition or are experiencing non-health related barriers to work to find and sustain employment. Delivering local Get Britain Working plans across England, led by local government and co-developed with local NHS, Jobcentre Plus and wider stakeholders. These plans will identify local labour market challenges and priorities including in former industrial areas, and work collectively to address these challenges and support the integration of services. Delivering 17 Economic Inactivity and Youth Guarantee Trailblazers led by Mayoral Strategic Authorities and Wales during 24/25 and 25/26. Trailblazers are testing local approaches to support people who are hardest to reach to move towards work, considering the specific needs of local labour markets. Reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers. Employment support programmes such as the Get Britain Working Trailblazers, WorkWell and Connect to Work will be evaluated to assess the extent to which they help people to enter and remain in work.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels in the availability of specialist school places in constituencies such as Aldridge-Brownhills.

It is the responsibility of local authorities to ensure there are sufficient school places for pupils in their area, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. If a local authority identifies a shortage of places, resulting in a significant number of pupils needing to travel a long way to access a placement, they should consider creating, adapting, or expanding provision to meet that need.The department has announced at least £3 billion for high needs capital between 2026/27 and 2029/30. Local authorities can use this funding to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools, adapt mainstream schools to be more accessible, and create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.This builds on the £740 million invested in 2025/26, which is on track to create around 10,000 new specialist places. Of this, Walsall Council received an allocation of just over £5 million. We will confirm local authority allocations for 2026/27 later in the spring.

What steps she is taking to support local authorities to reduce SEND assessment backlogs.

The department publishes annual SEN2 data on education, health and care (EHC) plan assessments, including timeliness of assessment. These data underpin our monitoring of local authority performance, support targeted intervention, and strengthen transparency across the system. SEN2 returns inform regular engagement and monitoring meetings with local areas and help us identify where additional support or challenge may be required.Through our special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) improvement and intervention programmes, we focus on areas showing signs of decline to help strengthen services. When inspections, other local intelligence or monitoring highlight concerns, including failures to meet statutory duties on EHC plan timeliness, we provide a range of universal, targeted and intensive support. This includes peer‑to‑peer support from sector-led improvement partners.Local authorities struggling to meet the 20‑week timeframe receive enhanced monitoring, and specialist SEND Advisers are deployed where further diagnostic support is needed.

What steps is her Department taking to ensure that all pupils leave school with life-saving road safety skills.

I refer the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills to the answer of 14 October 2025 to Question 77400.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the benefits to educational outcomes of regular physical activity.

Physical education (PE) and sport are vital elements of a rounded and enriching education that every child deserves. As outlined in the government's response to the curriculum and assessment review recommendations, the department will be strengthening the national curriculum for PE, recognising its role in supporting pupils’ wellbeing and educational outcomes.We have also made a commitment to set out a core enrichment offer that every school and college, in every community, should aim to provide for all children beyond the statutory curriculum. Our ambition is that all schools should provide an offer to all pupils that meets the new benchmarks. This includes access to sport and physical activities, civic engagement, arts and culture, nature, outdoor and adventure, and developing wider life skills.As announced last June by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, the department is working with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to develop a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network which aims to support schools to ensure all children and young people have equal access to high quality PE and extracurricular sport.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the apology from the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police for providing erroneous evidence used to justify the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ban on the level of public confidence in policing in the West Midlands.

The Government recognises that public confidence in policing is fundamental to the effectiveness of the police and to the principle of policing by consent.I met the Acting Chief Constable, Scott Green, for West Midlands Police on 21 January. I was assured that appropriate steps are being taken to rebuild trust and confidence in the force and its leadership team, including with local communities.The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation, using its power of initiative, into the role of West Midlands Police in the intelligence and decision‑making that led to the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.Accountability for the performance of West Midlands Police rests primarily with the directly elected West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, who is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account on behalf of the public. The PCC has a range of statutory powers to scrutinise force performance and governance, and to ensure that public confidence is maintained.From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” published on 26 January set out the Government’s proposals to reintroduce a power for the Home Secretary to remove a Chief Constable on performance grounds and reforming the appointment, suspension and dismissal of Chief Constables.Through Home Office funding to the NPCC Artificial Intelligence (AI) portfolio, detailed guidance has been developed and published on the responsible use of AI in policing, including through the NPCC AI Playbook and the Covenant.All Chief Constables have signed up to the Covenant, which establishes core principles for the transparent, responsible and accountable use of AI and generative technologies in UK policing. It also explicitly refers to the need for processes in place to ensure AI output is not accepted uncritically.

What steps he is taking to help increase uptake of apprenticeships among young people in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

This government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy that will give greater flexibility to employers and support young people, including those in the Aldridge-Brownhills constituency, at the beginning of their careers. In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. We are investing an additional £725 million to deliver the next phase of the growth and skills levy and meet our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships. We will expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people, launch a pilot with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities, and fully fund SME apprenticeships for eligible 16–24-year-olds from the next academic year. The government also facilitates the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN), comprising around 2,500 employer and apprentice volunteers who go into schools and colleges to share their compelling stories and experiences of what apprenticeships can do for young people.

What steps her Department is taking to support police forces in tackling shoplifting and retail crime.

Police recorded crime figures recorded 529,994 shoplifting offences for year ending June 2025. This represents a 13% increase from the previous year.Charges for shop theft rose by 25% (up to 107,090 charges). That is why we’re committed to restoring visible, responsive neighbourhood policing with 3,000 additional officers in neighbourhood policing roles by spring next year.In the Crime and Policing Bill, we are bringing a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores and we are removing the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, sending a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.The Home Office has regular discussions with the police and other partners on protecting retail workers and tackling shop theft.We are also providing over £7 million over the next three years to support the police and retailers tackle retail crime, including continuing to fund a specialist policing team – in partnership with the retail sector - to better understand the tactics used by organised retail crime gangs and identify more offenders.

What discussions he has had with local employers in the West Midlands on tackling skills shortages.

We recognise the important role that local employers have in addressing skills shortages, that is why Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) are increasing the voice and influence that employers directly have in their local skills systems. The West Midlands LSIP is led by Coventry Chamber of Commerce, working collaboratively with: other Chambers of Commerce in the region; the West Midlands Combined Authority and a range of local employers; further- and higher- education training providers; and other stakeholders – including Job Centre Plus. When the new LSIP is developed this summer, it will provide strategic direction to the West Midlands skills system and an invaluable source of intelligence to the newly established Skills England, which has recently joined my Department. Additionally, through both its national Strategic Relationship Team (SRT) and Job Centre Plus teams in the West Midlands, the DWP is working to address the skills shortages in the area. This includes delivering Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which give people job specific training and guaranteed interviews and running employer led academies in areas like construction, manufacturing and food production. The department is working with: industry bodies; West Midlands Combined Authority; local employers; and with organisations such as the Construction Industry Training Board and Skills for Care, to design training that meets real employer needs.

What guidance her Department has issued to policing bodies on the use of (a) artificial intelligence and (b) generative technologies in (i) gathering and (ii) analysing intelligence related to public order.

The Government recognises that public confidence in policing is fundamental to the effectiveness of the police and to the principle of policing by consent.I met the Acting Chief Constable, Scott Green, for West Midlands Police on 21 January. I was assured that appropriate steps are being taken to rebuild trust and confidence in the force and its leadership team, including with local communities.The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation, using its power of initiative, into the role of West Midlands Police in the intelligence and decision‑making that led to the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.Accountability for the performance of West Midlands Police rests primarily with the directly elected West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, who is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account on behalf of the public. The PCC has a range of statutory powers to scrutinise force performance and governance, and to ensure that public confidence is maintained.From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” published on 26 January set out the Government’s proposals to reintroduce a power for the Home Secretary to remove a Chief Constable on performance grounds and reforming the appointment, suspension and dismissal of Chief Constables.Through Home Office funding to the NPCC Artificial Intelligence (AI) portfolio, detailed guidance has been developed and published on the responsible use of AI in policing, including through the NPCC AI Playbook and the Covenant.All Chief Constables have signed up to the Covenant, which establishes core principles for the transparent, responsible and accountable use of AI and generative technologies in UK policing. It also explicitly refers to the need for processes in place to ensure AI output is not accepted uncritically.

Whether she will review the current frameworks for the (a) removal and (b) censure of a Chief Constable when Rt hon. and hon. Members have been misled by police evidence.

The Government recognises that public confidence in policing is fundamental to the effectiveness of the police and to the principle of policing by consent.I met the Acting Chief Constable, Scott Green, for West Midlands Police on 21 January. I was assured that appropriate steps are being taken to rebuild trust and confidence in the force and its leadership team, including with local communities.The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation, using its power of initiative, into the role of West Midlands Police in the intelligence and decision‑making that led to the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.Accountability for the performance of West Midlands Police rests primarily with the directly elected West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, who is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account on behalf of the public. The PCC has a range of statutory powers to scrutinise force performance and governance, and to ensure that public confidence is maintained.From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” published on 26 January set out the Government’s proposals to reintroduce a power for the Home Secretary to remove a Chief Constable on performance grounds and reforming the appointment, suspension and dismissal of Chief Constables.Through Home Office funding to the NPCC Artificial Intelligence (AI) portfolio, detailed guidance has been developed and published on the responsible use of AI in policing, including through the NPCC AI Playbook and the Covenant.All Chief Constables have signed up to the Covenant, which establishes core principles for the transparent, responsible and accountable use of AI and generative technologies in UK policing. It also explicitly refers to the need for processes in place to ensure AI output is not accepted uncritically.