Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on monitoring the misuse of Motability vehicles identified by police forces.

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

Motability Foundation is a registered charity regulated by the Charity Commission so is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Motability Scheme. The Scheme is delivered by Motability Operations which is an independent commercial company under contract to the charity. Only those claimants in receipt of an eligible benefit can choose to join the Motability Scheme. Any misuse of a scheme vehicle is a matter for Motability, and they will take action as appropriate.

DWP and Motability work closely to ensure that Scheme vehicles are used to meet the needs of disabled people. Where misuse of a Scheme vehicle is identified, including for criminal activity, appropriate action is taken to inform the police and recover the vehicle

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to help prevent the misuse of Motability vehicles in criminal activity.

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

The Home Office has not issued national guidance to police forces on the recording and investigation of criminal activity involving Motability vehicles.

Enforcement of the law, including road traffic legislation, is an operational matter for individual police forces to determine in line with resources and local policing plans.

The Government will continue to support the police to ensure that they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance she has issued to police forces on (a) recording and (b) investigating criminal offences involving Motability vehicles.

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

The Home Office has not issued national guidance to police forces on the recording and investigation of criminal activity involving Motability vehicles.

Enforcement of the law, including road traffic legislation, is an operational matter for individual police forces to determine in line with resources and local policing plans.

The Government will continue to support the police to ensure that they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds information on the proportion of crimes involving Motability vehicles where the vehicle was used (a) by the registered Motability customer, (b) by another person with permission and (c) without the registered customer’s consent.

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

The Home Office holds data on the number of vehicle related incidents of crime recorded by the police in England and Wales. However, we do not hold data on whether a vehicle was used as part of the incident or the type of vehicle used.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of recorded crimes in which motability vehicles were identified as being involved, listed by each police force area.

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

The Home Office holds data on the number of vehicle related incidents of crime recorded by the police in England and Wales.

However, we do not hold data on whether a vehicle was used as part of the incident or the type of vehicle used.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the number of recorded criminal incidents involving vehicles registered under the Motability Scheme in each of the last three years.

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

The Home Office holds data on the number of vehicle related incidents of crime recorded by the police in England and Wales.

However, we do not hold data on whether a vehicle was used as part of the incident or the type of vehicle used.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the planned geographical expansion of Start for Life services from 2025–26.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda to improve the nation’s health. As part of this, we will expand Start for Life services and integrate zero- to five-year olds’ health and children’s services into communities, with a strong focus on the critical first 1,001 days.

The integration of health services in Best Start Family Hubs is fundamental to improving outcomes for babies, children, and their families and for delivering on neighbourhood health. This is why the Government will prioritise funding the continuation of existing Start for Life services including for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, and parent-infant relationships.

Provisional funding allocations have been shared with local authorities. The Government remains committed to supporting all local areas to strengthen and join up health services for babies, children, and their families.

Found: Beccy Cooper; Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Andrew George; Paulette Hamilton; Alex McIntyre; Joe Robertson

Found: Health and Social Care Committee member present: Joe Robertson.

Found: Health and Social Care Committee member present: Joe Robertson.