Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of HMRC mileage rates.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Approved Mileage Allowance Payment rates are used by employers to reimburse an employee's expenses, tax free, for business mileage in their private vehicle. These rates are also used by self-employed drivers to claim tax relief on business mileage (when using simplified motoring expenses), and can be used by organisations to reimburse volunteers who use their own vehicle for voluntary purposes.

Employees can claim up to 45p/mile for the first 10,000 miles annually, followed by up to 25p/mile thereafter. An additional 5p/mile can be claimed for each passenger transported.

The AMAP rates are not mandatory, and employers can choose to pay more or less than the AMAP rate. It is therefore ultimately up to employers to determine the rate at which they reimburse their employees.

The Government keeps all taxes under review and the Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2024 to Question 13425 on Budget October 2024, whether its definition of working people has changed.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

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

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, 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.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many vehicles were leased through the mobility scheme in each year since 2020; and how many of those vehicles were British made.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Motability Foundation is an independent charitable organisation with oversight of the Motability Scheme. DWP is responsible for the main disability benefits (excluding Scottish disability benefits) that provide a gateway to the Scheme. If a claimant chooses to join the Scheme, DWP facilitates the transfer of these benefits to Motability Operations.

Whilst the Department works closely with Motability Foundation, responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme, including the choice of vehicles, sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors. Motability Foundation publish annual reports which set out the number of customers on the Scheme as a whole and can be found on this link: Annual Reports and Accounts | About Us | Motability Foundation.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, 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.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

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.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the cost of asylum properties procured for dispersed accommodation in (a) England, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Oldham for each financial year from 2015/16 to date.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not hold financial data in the format required to answer the specifics in the question. However total asylum costs including accommodation are published in the Home Office’s Annual Report and Accounts.

Please refer to page 75 (page 83 on the pdf reader) of 2024-25 Annual Report for the most recent published data.

Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 2025

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of HMRC mileage rates on health and care workers undertaking home visits.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of HM Revenue and Customs’ mileage rates on health and care workers undertaking home visits. The Department of Health and Social Care looks at pressures on health and care services in the round, both at fiscal events such as budgets and spending reviews, and on an ongoing basis.

The vast majority of care workers are employed by private sector providers who set their terms and conditions independent of the Government. Local authorities work with care providers to determine fee rates, which should take account of employment costs, based on local market conditions.

Agenda for Change staff and resident doctors in England are reimbursed for travel which is incurred in the performance of their duties in line with their respective terms and conditions. These staff currently receive 59 pence per mile for the first 3,500 miles travelled in a year, before the rate drops to 24 pence per subsequent mile. The NHS Staff Council, which is responsible for maintaining the National Health Service terms and conditions of service, is currently negotiating a new mechanism that will determine a fair reimbursement rate for miles incurred by these staff. Further updates on their work will be made in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, 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.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

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.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, 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.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

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.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of criminal records amassed in the course of exploitation and abuse on victims of child (a) sexual exploitation and (b) criminal exploitation.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We recognise that criminal records can impact an individual’s opportunity to find work and rebuild their lives, and are committed to helping those with convictions to overcome these barriers and reintegrate into society.

Regarding victims of child sexual exploitation, the Ministry of Justice is working with the Criminal Cases Review Commission to ensure it is properly resourced to review the applications of victims of Child Sexual Exploitation who believe they were unjustly convicted when their position as a victim was not properly understood.   We are also legislating in the Crime and Policing Bill to disregard cautions and convictions issued to individuals under the age of 18 for the on-street prostitution offence.

We also know that children can be exploited into criminal activity and we are introducing a new offence of criminal exploitation of children in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring young people into violence and crime. As part of this legislation, we are also delivering new civil preventative orders to disrupt and prevent child criminal exploitation from occurring or re-occurring. Where a victim of CCE also meets the definition of a victim of modern slavery, they may have access to the statutory defence against prosecution contained in section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of child criminal exploitation interventions in England.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Child criminal exploitation (CCE) is a form of child abuse, and this Government is clear that tackling CCE is a priority and plays a critical role in delivering on our commitment to halve knife crime in a decade.

As committed to in the Government’s manifesto, we are introducing a new offence of criminal exploitation of children in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring young people into violence and crime. As part of this legislation, we are also delivering new civil preventative orders to disrupt and prevent child criminal exploitation from occurring or re-occurring. A new criminal offence is necessary to increase convictions against exploiters, deter gangs from enlisting children, and improve identification of victims.

County Lines is the most violent model of drug supply and a harmful form of child criminal exploitation. Through the County Lines Programme, we are targeting exploitative drug dealing gangs and safeguarding criminally exploited children caught up in this trade. Between July 2024 and June 2025, County Lines Programme partners referred over 3,200 children and vulnerable people to safeguarding services and provided specialist one-to-one support through Catch22’s county lines service to more than 500 children and young people.

Independent evaluation of the County Lines Programme found a causal link to 19% reductions in hospitalisations due to knife stabbings in key exporter force areas – equivalent to 500 fewer knife stabbings per annum or 15% of the national total. The latest Strategic Assessment (for 24/25) by the National County Lines Coordination Centre also found that dedicated policing efforts are impacting the County Lines model and that the number of children reported by police as involved in county lines has fallen by 8% since 23/24.

The Home Office-funded Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) service also provides specialist expertise that seeks to ensure potential child victims in the NRM are protected from further harm, prevent possible repeat victimisation or re-trafficking, and promote the child’s recovery. Evaluation of the ICTG service has found it to be highly effective in supporting exploited and trafficked children, particularly in reducing risks of re-trafficking.

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), established in 2019, aims to reduce serious violence among children and young people across the UK. Its mission is to fund evidence-based initiatives, evaluate their effectiveness, and generate knowledge to inform policy and practice in preventing youth violence. With an initial investment of £200 million from the Home Office, the YEF has supported numerous programmes across the UK. The YEF has funded work reaching over 150,000 of our most vulnerable children. Through its long-term funding model, it has been able to do this while conducting more high-quality evaluations of what works to prevent violence than have ever been conducted in the UK.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of grassroots football on (a) social well-being and (b) contribution to economic value; and what support she has made available to (a) AVRO FC in Oldham and (b) other grassroots clubs in Oldham Borough.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone should have access to, and benefit from, quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Participation in grassroots sports helps keep people active and creates opportunities for social interaction that bolster mental resilience.

In October 2024, DCMS research showed that the sport and physical activity sector contributed £53.6 billion of direct Gross Value Add (GVA) to the UK economy in 2021. The same research showed that football, throughout the whole football pyramid and grassroots sport, as well as football’s indirect impact on the economy at large, generated £8.71 billion towards the total UK GVA in 2021.

In 2024-25, grassroots clubs in Oldham Borough received £1,902,056 of funding via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, which funds projects such as new artificial grass pitches, floodlights and clubhouses. No funding has been provided to AVRO FC.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, 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.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

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.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of year-round fireworks displays by commercial venues (a) in and (b) near residential areas on social well-being.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of year-round fireworks displays by commercial venues in and near residential areas on social well-being.

The Government recently launched new guidance for community groups and event organisers on running safe and considerate fireworks displays covering fireworks safety, the gathering of crowds and the impact on the local community. This supplements existing guidance from Government and other organisations that is available to help people to use fireworks safely.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what independent support has been put in place to support victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation ahead of the national inquiry.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of co-operative public service broadcasting in the UK.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed Metrolink tram extension in Greater Manchester; and if it plans to fund further (a) feasibility and (b) business case studies for new routes in and around Oldham.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The responsibility for local transport in Greater Manchester, including the operation, development and future enhancement of the Metrolink network is a matter for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Mayor.

Between 2022-23 and 2026-27, we are providing £1.07bn of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement funding to Greater Manchester to deliver transformational change to Greater Manchester’s transport infrastructure. Beyond that, we have confirmed a £2.5bn Transport for City Regions settlement for Greater Manchester from 2027-28 to 2031-32.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people travelled by bus in Greater Manchester for each year from 2010 to date; and what assessment has her Department made of trends in the level of bus travel during the current spending period.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department does not hold data on the number of people that travelled by bus in Greater Manchester.

The Department does publish statistics on the number of bus journeys in Greater Manchester in the Annual Bus Statistics. These are available in Table BUS01e: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/bus-statistics-data-tables#local-bus-passenger-journeys-bus01.

The Government knows that local bus services are not delivering for all in many areas of the country, and we are committed to improving services and growing usage. That is why we have introduced the Bus Services Act 2025 to put power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders to enable them to deliver better bus services that meet the needs of their communities. In addition, the Government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Greater Manchester Combined Authority has been allocated £66.4 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services and connectivity across the area.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing free bus travel for care leavers in England.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

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.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, 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.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

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

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners on license were released to supported accommodation in each local authority area in each year from 2015 to date.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

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

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, 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.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, 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.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

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-allocations

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/integrated-transport-block-allocations/integrated-transport-block-itb-allocations-2025-to-2026

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-transport-grant-allocations/local-transport-grant-ltg-allocations-2025-to-2026

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, 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.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of GP practice closures in (a) England, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Oldham since 2010.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, 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.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 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.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

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.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, 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.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the affordability of motor insurance in areas of higher deprivation.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

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.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, 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.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

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

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners were released to accommodation in each local authority area in each year since 2015.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of youth councils on young people.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, 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.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

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.

Injury on Duty Award Scheme

Found: In July, the then Minister, Jim McMahon, announced the consultation response and confirmed that the