Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the regional representation of new peers appointed for each year since 2015 to the current December 2025 list.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
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.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to conduct an inquiry, investigation or review into foreign interference at elections and with elected members at all levels.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
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.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Government-registered vehicles are declared as being off the road with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
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.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of cross-Government working in the context of the disbanding of Mission Boards.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
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.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, 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.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
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.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how his Department measures its contribution to British vehicle manufacturing and skilled jobs through procurement.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
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.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, 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.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
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.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many copies of each UK daily newspaper did the government purchase for each year from 2015 to date.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, 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.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of civil servants have working class backgrounds.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
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.