Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to HCWS1249, what productivity gains and cash-releasing savings are expected from the digital government roadmap by 2030; how those savings will be measured; and how benefits will be shared between central government and local public bodies.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Work undertaken by the Office for Value for Money at SR25 identified total annual efficiency gains of almost £14bn by 2028-29, of which the Government expects digital to contributes a substantial portion of this. The Government Digital Service (GDS) will work with HM Treasury to measure central government departments’ contributions to this by tracking the digital efficiencies they’ve identified in their delivery plans by the end of the spending review period. GDS will also draw on productivity and efficiency information from across the public sector to understand how government is driving wider efficiency.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to HCWS1249, what steps are being taken to prevent digital exclusion arising from the expansion of the GOV.UK app, GOV.UK Wallet and GOV.UK One Login; how access to offline or assisted services will be protected between 2025 and 2030; and how progress on digital inclusion will be measured.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
All new GDS products are designed and tested to meet WCAG 2.2 AA standards and support users with diverse access needs, skills and devices. In addition, the Government is taking coordinated action to reduce digital exclusion. Through the Digital Innovation Fund we are supporting locally led projects that test new approaches to help people gain skills, confidence and access to digital public services. This forms part of the wider Digital Inclusion Action Plan, which brings together work across accessibility, connectivity, skills and affordability to ensure those facing the greatest barriers are supported to get online.
Departments will continue to offer offline, phone and assisted‑digital routes so people who cannot or prefer not to use online services can still get help. No essential service will become digital‑only without suitable support.
Progress on digital inclusion is measured through accessibility assessments, user research and service performance data to ensure services work for everyone.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Written Statement of 22 January 2026 on Launch of new capital fund for places of worship, HCWS1268, and the evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, what evidence her Department has used to support the determination that 80% of respondents would have undertaken works without the rebate; and what steps her Department took to assess whether those works would have been delayed, scaled back, or funded through additional fundraising and debt.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department conducted an evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. The evaluation included an extensive survey of current and past scheme users and is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-listed-places-of-worship-scheme-final-report. Our evaluation showed that while it had many benefits, 80% of respondents said that they would still have carried out the work without the rebate.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Written Statement of 22 January 2026 on Launch of new capital fund for places of worship, HCWS1268, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of ending the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme on the financial sustainability of (a) historic churches and (b) other faith buildings; what estimate she has made of the potential number of repairs likely to be (i) delayed and (ii) cancelled as a result; and what estimate she has made of the additional financial burden placed on congregations and local communities.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department conducted an evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. The evaluation included an extensive survey of current and past scheme users and is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-listed-places-of-worship-scheme-final-report. The evaluation did not assess the impact of ending the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme on the financial sustainability of places of worship. Our evaluation showed that while it had many benefits, 80% of respondents said that they would still have carried out the work without the rebate. As we look towards a new fiscal period and the evolving needs of our community, it is essential that government support is deployed to the areas where it can have the greatest impact and where it is needed most. Over the next four years, the Places of Worship Renewal Fund will invest £92 million capital funding into listed places of worship and is designed to ensure that taxpayer funding is targeted more effectively toward the preservation of our heritage assets.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of police officer numbers in the West Midlands Police force area and planned officer numbers for 2026/27 and 2027/28.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. An effective, well-supported police service is central to achieving this.
Published statistics show, as at 30 September 2025, West Midlands Police had 8,027 full-time equivalent police officers.
It is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions, to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience. This includes how best to allocate and deploy the resources at their disposal to provide an effective service to local communities.
Chief Constables, PCCs and Mayors with PCC functions will also be able to make decisions on the shape of their overall workforce of officers and staff in response to the 2026/27 Police Funding Settlement and future funding settlements.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
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 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.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
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.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the matter of banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, what recent discussions she has had with the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner on the adequacy of the accountability and oversight of West Midlands Police.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
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.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, 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.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
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.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, 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.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
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.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in antisocial behaviour in the West Midlands over the past five years.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Information on the number of incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded by police forces in England and Wales, by force and by year can be found in the year ending March 2025 annual supplementary tables published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), here: Crime in England and Wales: Annual supplementary tables - Office for National Statistics