Written questions by McMahon.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps with the Secretary of State for Education to encourage schools in urban areas to visit farms and learn about farming, food and the environment.

There are clear benefits of schools in urban areas arranging farm visits for their students to learn about farming, food and the environment. With our educational access actions, farmers and land managers can be funded to host educational visits to their farms and woodland at a rate of £363 per visit, subject to a maximum number of 25 paid visits per year. Officials will continue to engage with Department for Education, including on how we can support schools and farms to promote this. Between 2022 and 2024, the Rural Payments Agency paid for 11,404 instances of educational visits across 1,754 agreements under Countryside Stewardship.

Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the number of visitors to live events she expects to benefit from the cap on ticket resales at face value.

The measures we have announced relating to ticket resales will protect consumers and improve fans’ access to live events, while ensuring that people have a safe and secure means to resell tickets. They will also ensure that revenue flows back into the live events sector, supporting our world-leading Creative Industries as set out in our Industrial Strategy. The impact on those attending live events will be set out in an impact assessment to be published alongside the legislation to introduce these measures. We will legislate when parliamentary time allows.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of trends in cinema usage since 2015; and what steps she has taken to support the industry.

The government recognises the hugely important role that cinemas play in the UK's film industry, in our local communities, and in driving economic growth. While we have seen some positive signs in the UK’s box office figures in recent years, we recognise that it has been a difficult time in the sector with box office returns remaining around 70% of pre-pandemic levels.As part of our support for the cinema sector, we are introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. Through our Independent Film Tax Credit we are also bolstering the slate of films entering cinemas. Furthermore, the British Film Institute, as an Arm’s Length Body of government, supports cinemas and audiences across the UK, including through its Film Audience Network (BFI FAN) and the use of National Lottery funding. This includes research into changing audience habits, such as with their Wider World of Film (2024) report. We continue to engage with the British Film Institute and other sector bodies on how to ensure a strong and successful future for the cinema sector.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of new fee paying and charity run religious schools on community cohesion and social mixing among young people from different religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Faith schools have played a longstanding role in, and remain an important element of, our education system. However, we are not expecting an increase in the number of new faith schools. In the current context of falling rolls, we expect there to be less demand for new school places and fewer new schools overall.Departmental guidance on establishing new state funded schools sets out expectations on considering the impact of new schools on community cohesion. Where proposals for new independent schools are submitted, approvals are needed from the department and Ofsted All schools have a vital role in promoting cohesion and are required to actively promote fundamental British values, which include mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, essential for building a strong, cohesive society.

What data her department holds on musical instrument take up by secondary school children by social class in England.

The information requested is not held centrally. To support music education, the government has committed £76 million per year grant funding for the Music Hubs programme, including the 2025/26 academic year. The 43 Music Hub partnerships across England offer a range of services, including instrumental music tuition and instrument loans. To widen access to instruments, the government is also investing £25 million in capital funding for musical instruments, equipment and technology across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic years.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the social and educational value of uniformed youth groups such as cubs, scouts and cadet units; and what are the trends in membership since 2015.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport commissioned an independent provider (Ipsos) to conduct an evaluation covering the Uniformed Youth Fund from 2022 to 2025, which was published on 11th September 2025. The research found uniformed youth organisations (UYOs) contribute to the social and emotional development of young people by providing them with structured activities and supportive environments, enhancing young people’s cooperation skills, communication, and confidence. UYOs also enhance education and career opportunities for young people by providing them with valuable skills for life and work and supporting their academic attainment through diverse activities. The evaluation also found that UYOs provide supportive and inclusive environments where young people feel safe, a sense of belonging for young people through their uniforms, and fostering trusted relationships with peers and adult leaders. The Department does not hold data on membership numbers of specific uniformed youth organisations. The Youth Participation Pilot Survey, commissioned by DCMS, found that around one in ten (11%) of respondents had participated in a uniformed youth group in the past 12 months.

How many criminal prosecutions in England and Wales collapsed due to (a) lost (b) missing and (c) damaged evidence for each year from 2015 to date.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on criminal court prosecutions that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.The Ministry of Justice cannot provide data on cases that are not progressed due to lost, missing or damaged of evidence. This information would only be held in the individual court records and examination of these records would be of disproportionate cost.

Whether he is taking steps to support the rebuilding of Ukraine through UK to Ukraine economic trade expansion.

My department is working to match British business expertise with Ukraine’s reconstruction needs, including through commitments in the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership Agreement.We extended tariff-free trade under our bilateral Free Trade Agreement on most goods until 2029, offering the most generous tariff concessions of any country. The UK-Ukraine Digital Trade Agreement has updated our digital trading arrangements for the modern age to help Ukraine rebuild its economy. Additionally, we continue to work with the Government of Ukraine to address market access barriers and identify and address priority reconstruction needs through the UK-Ukraine Infrastructure Taskforce and our Project Development Programme.

How many reports of lost and missing (a) police warrant cards (b) police uniform items were made for each year from 2015 to date.

The Home Office does not hold data centrally on how many police warrant cards or police uniform items are lost.

How many reports have there been of lost or missing items from police force evidence stores for (a) cash (b) drugs (c) weapons (d) jewellery (e) electronic goods (f) personal ID documents for each year from 2015 to date.

The Home Office does not hold central information on the number of reports there have been of lost or missing items from police force evidence stores. The information may be held by individual police forces.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of cross-Government working in the context of the disbanding of Mission Boards.

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.

What estimate she has made of (a) the number of pupils suspended or sent home for not wearing the required school uniform and (b) lost school days as a result for the most recent year the data is available.

The department does not hold the requested information. While statistics on suspension are collected by reason category, ‘not wearing the required school uniform’ is not included as a separate category. The department publishes data on suspensions and permanent exclusions in state-funded schools in England. The most recent full academic year release, covering 2023/24, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2023-24. This has been available since 10 July 2025. The department’s position is clear that it is for the headteacher to determine how to address breaches of the school’s uniform and appearance, in line with the school’s behaviour policy. We expect schools to respond to non-compliance, such as uniform breaches in a proportionate and fair way. Where a school imposes a sanction such as a suspension the formal exclusion process must be followed.

What plans her Department has to tackle unauthorised advertising adjacent to motorways in England.

The Department does not permit advertising within the boundary of the Strategic Road Network, and National Highways removes any unauthorised signage from its land. For adverts on private land adjacent to motorways, enforcement is carried out by local planning authorities under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007. National Highways will continue to notify the relevant authority and raise concerns where an advert poses a road safety risk.

How many FTE civil servants there were across Government in England by region in each year since 2010.

Information on the number of FTE civil servants by region is published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics. This information can be found at Table 10 of each of the annual publications data tables available at the link below. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics#annual-statistics

What assessment her Department has made of the level of (a) heavy goods vehicle and (b) large goods vehicle driver vacancies; and what steps her Department is taking to help (i) train and (ii) retain drivers.

The Department for Transport publishes data on heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver vacancies which is collected as part of the domestic road haulage survey, sent to businesses which operate an HGV. The data releases can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-freight-statistics-2024/heavy-goods-vehicle-driver-vacancies-in-the-united-kingdom-2024 In addition, the Department meets regularly with the road haulage sector through the Freight Workforce Group and Road Freight Industry meetings to discuss industry concerns, including skills shortages. The Government has confirmed £136 million for Skills Bootcamps in 2025-26 to support more than 40,000 learners, including in HGV driving. Skills Bootcamps are now funded through Mayoral Strategic Authorities and local areas directly, empowering local leaders with greater control over skills development. Local leaders are considering what occupations to prioritise. The Government also continues to support the sector with skills training through the Urban Driver and Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) driver apprenticeships, and through Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) via Jobcentre Plus.

How many reports of (a) antisocial behaviour towards, (b) sexual harassment of, (c) sexual assault of and (d) physical assault of train staff were made in each of the past three years.

The British Transport Police are responsible for policing the railway in England, Scotland and Wales and have provided the following figures. Offence/Incident Type2022/232023/242024/25Antisocial Behaviour Not available as a breakdown for incidents against rail staffUnwanted Sexual BehaviourNot available7183Sex offences95111121Violence 276134153727

What estimate her Department has made of the level of illegal doorstep lending in England for which the latest data is available.

Illegal money lenders — more commonly known as loan sharks — are dangerous criminals capable of inflicting terrible harm on their victims. To combat this, the Government funds specialist Illegal Money Lending Teams (IMLTs) operating across the UK. These teams investigate and prosecute illegal money lenders and offer support to their victims. Because of the underground nature of illegal money lending, HM Treasury does not have data on the number of victims of illegal money lending each year. However, HM Treasury officials regularly engage with the IMLTs to receive updates on their work, including on prosecutions, support provided to victims, and any key trends. To learn more about the work of the IMLTs, visit the Stop Loan Sharks website: https://www.stoploansharks.co.uk/.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the number of self service check outs at supermarkets and convenience stores on the number of jobs in those sectors since 2015.

The Department for Business and Trade has no plans to assess the impact of self-service checkouts on employment levels in the retail sector since 2015. Decisions about in-store services in supermarkets, including provision of staffed and self-checkout tills are rightly a matter for individual retailers. The Government recognises that the retail sector continues to be an important employer in the UK economy and while technological changes may alter the nature of some roles within the sector, they can also create new opportunities and job types across the retail industry. The Government continues to engage with the industry, including through the Retail Sector Council, which brings together employers, unions and other stakeholders to address challenges and opportunities.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to implement policies to help build community cohesion in areas with segregated communities.

The Ministry for Communities, Housing and Local Government is leading cross-Government efforts to consider a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues. This Government wants to ensure that all places are further supported to build cohesion and resilience, and that support is in place rapidly, as and when tensions occur. The Common Ground Resilience Fund will provide £2.87m funding to local communities to insulate them against threats to social cohesion. We also recently announced the expansion of the Pride in Place Programme – this will provide up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade to 244 places across the UK. It focuses on three overarching objectives: building stronger communities; creating thriving places; and helping communities to take back control of their own lives and areas. As part of this, funding will be made available to improve community cohesion.

How many offenders awaiting (a) trial (b) sentencing were removed from the UK under a voluntary agreement prior to the completion of the legal process annually since 2015.

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.The Home Office publishes data on returns in the ‘Immigration System Statistics quarterly release’. Data on returns by return type can be found in Ret_01 of the ‘Returns summary tables’. This data covers the period 2010 to September 2025.