Written questions by McMahon.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of the mandatory displaying of food hygiene ratings on (a) shop fronts and (b) online food ordering platforms.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Evidence from Wales and Northern Ireland demonstrates that mandatory display has improved transparency, which encourages businesses to achieve better levels of compliance with hygiene requirements.Introducing a statutory scheme in England, with a mandatory display of ratings at premises and online, would require primary legislation and the securing of a suitable legislative vehicle and parliamentary time. Ministers will consider the options in due course, supported by the FSA.In the meantime, the FSA is working with its local authority partners to maintain and improve the impact and benefits of this highly successful public health scheme.

How many vehicles were leased through the mobility scheme in each year since 2020; and how many of those vehicles were British made.

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.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to help increase the number of co-operative housing units.

The government recognises that the community-led housing sector delivers a wide range of benefits including strengthening community participation in local decision-making, engendering community cohesion, achieving high quality design and strengthening the co-operative economy. In March, we announced a £20m 10-year social finance investment to provide capital finance for community-led housing, which is expected to directly support the construction of more than 2,500 new homes over the next decade. These housebuilding projects will be led by communities to specifically address local needs in their area. The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December strengthened support for community-led housing, including through changes to the size limit on community-led exception sites and a broadening of the definition of organisations able to deliver community-led housing. The government is also considering opportunities to legislate to establish a legal framework for a co-operative housing tenure, which would help formalise the rights and responsibilities of both co-operatives and their tenants, and make co-operative housing a more attractive option.

What information his Department holds on the number of court cases that (a) did not progress and (b) were delayed due to the non-attendance of professional witnesses by the profession of those witnesses in Greater Manchester in the last 12 months.

The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the number of cases which did not progress or were delayed due to non-attendance of professional witnesses split by witness profession.

What information her Department holds on the average number of asylum seekers who are housed in each property procured for dispersal accommodation in each local authority in Greater Manchester.

The Home Office has a legal obligation to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute by providing appropriate support which usually includes accommodation.The Home Office does not disclose information about average number of asylum seekers who are housed in each property procured for dispersal accommodation.Data, published quarterly, on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including accommodation type, can be found within the Asy_D11 tab of our most recent statistics release. Immigration system statistics data tables - www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential contribution of co-operatives in agriculture to food security.

The Government strongly supports the benefits co-operatives can bring and recognises the important role they play in food security, the resilience of the food sector and as a lifeline for community access to food. Through the food strategy, Defra is considering how to better support local and place-based initiatives to deliver the changes needed for resilience, including food and farming co-operatives and mutuals.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to take steps to help support the expansion of the number of co-operatives in farming.

The Government strongly supports the benefits co-operatives can bring and recognises the important role they play in food security, the resilience of the food sector and as a lifeline for community access to food. Through the food strategy, Defra is considering how to better support local and place-based initiatives to deliver the changes needed for resilience, including food and farming co-operatives and mutuals.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of out of area taxi operations on public safety.

The primary purpose of the taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime is public safety. Since coming into Government, we have been actively looking at ways to improve the existing licensing regime.We have committed to legislate to address the issues raised in Baroness Casey’s national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, to tackle the inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing. We want to achieve two outcomes; the first is ensuring we have consistently high safeguarding standards and the second is that there is no unintended reduction in the availability of licensed taxi and private hire vehicle services, which could disproportionately impact women and girls and disabled people, who rely on these services the most. We are considering all options – including out-of-area working, national standards, enforcement and transferring licensing to local transport authorities - seeking the best overall outcomes for passenger safety.We are currently reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance issued by the Department on actions they should take on licensing matters including safety. All licensing authorities have reported that they require the highest level of criminal background checks for taxi and private hire vehicle driver licence applicants – an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check with a check of the children’s and adults’ barred lists. Where safety recommendations from the guidance are not being followed, licensing authorities will be held to account.

What funding his Department is providing to Greater Manchester to fund the removal of Clean Air Zone signage in the region.

We agreed in January 2025 an £86m plan for Greater Manchester to help clean up the region’s air, including support for cleaner buses, local traffic measures and moving Greater Manchester’s taxi fleet to cleaner vehicles. Individual spending decisions within that funding package are for Greater Manchester authorities.

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of Government-funded business development support in the co-operative and mutual sectors.

The Department for Business and Trade committed to launch a Call for Evidence on co-operative and mutual business. The Call for Evidence will focus on how the government can continue to support co-operative and mutual businesses, to start, grow and scale, as well as support for existing businesses who want to transition to become a co-operative or mutual.As part of this, we will be collecting data on existing business support for co-operatives and mutuals, including, but not limited to government funded support.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of public sector procurement with local suppliers in each English region in each year between 2010 and 2025.

Information on the effectiveness of public sector procurement with local suppliers in each English region is not held centrally. This Government is determined to ensure public procurement delivers jobs, growth and investment across all regions of the UK. Our National Procurement Policy Statement encourages contracting authorities to consider how procurement can foster economic growth, support small businesses, strengthen UK supply chains and drive delivery of the Government’s Industrial Strategy and missions. We are considering additional measures to further assist local suppliers and support British skills and jobs.

What steps his Department is taking to help support the growth of the co-operative sector.

The Department for Business and Trade committed to launch a Call for Evidence on co-operative and mutual business. The Call for Evidence will focus on how the government can continue to support co-operative and mutual businesses, to start, grow and scale, as well as support for existing businesses who want to transition to become a co-operative or mutual.DBT is also looking at how to integrate support for co-operatives and mutuals within the government’s overall approach for supporting SMEs, including what we can do via the Business Growth Service, and through DBT funded Growth Hubs (England only) which aim to support local businesses, including co-operative and mutuals.

What assessment her Department has made of the financial contribution of the co-operative sector to the economy; and what estimate her Department has made of the level of growth in that sector in each of the next five years.

The government recognises the contribution of co-operatives to the economy, serving local communities and ensuring the UK has a diverse business sector. According to Co-operatives UK, there are 7,391 co-operatives operating in the UK with a combined annual income of £42.7bn. Co-operatives serve 16.6 million members - an increase of 1.4 million (9.5%) from 2024 levels - and employ almost 240,000 people. The government is taking steps to support further growth the co-operative sector in line with its manifesto commitment to double the size of the co-operative and mutuals sector. This includes funding the Law Commission’s independent review of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, which will consider ways to update and modernise the Act. The review is expected to be published by the end of the 2025 and the government will carefully consider its findings before responding. Additionally, at Mansion House 2024 the Chancellor set out a package of measures aimed at supporting the growth of the broader co-operative and mutuals sector. This included welcoming the establishment of the industry-led Mutuals and Co-operative Business Council and asking the PRA and FCA to produce a report on the mutuals landscape by the end of 2025. The Department for Business and Trade has also announced a call for evidence which will explore business support for co-operatives and non-financial mutuals. Together, these will support the growth of the co-operative sector in line with the manifesto commitment.

How many rented properties are procured in each Greater Manchester local authority area by providers contracted by her Department for asylum accommodation.

For the safety and security of those we accommodate and staff, it is our longstanding policy not to disclose information about sites which may or may not be utilised by the Home Office.The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area. These statistics can be found at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the two child benefit cap on children in Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton constituency.

This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy. In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action. As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. In August, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays.

What role he expects local authorities to have in implementing community energy schemes.

Together with local and community energy groups and other key stakeholders from devolved governments to mayoral strategic authorities, Great British Energy and the UK government will turbocharge support for local and community energy projects across the UK. Great British Energy will work closely with Local Authorities to provide commercial, technical and project-planning assistance to increase their capability and capacity to build a pipeline of successful projects in their local areas. Mayoral Strategic Authorities also have a vital role in offering local expertise with their communities and in July, Great British Energy awarded all 14 mayoral strategic authorities in England a share of £10 million in grant funding to roll out clean energy projects at the heart of their communities.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of magistrate court capacity in Greater Manchester.

The Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog in the Crown Court. The impacts of a historic lack of investment in the criminal justice system and increased demand, due to more arrests and charging practices, means there is now also additional pressure on the magistrates’ courts.We are committed to creating a more stable and sustainable criminal justice system, in which victims and the public can have confidence. We continue to build capacity in the magistrates’ courts, with 14,636 magistrates in post as of April 2025 across England and Wales, and we are uplifting our recruitment programme to bring in up to 2,000 new and diverse magistrates over the next 12 months. In addition, we are recruiting greater numbers of legal advisers to ensure our courts remain resilient.In Greater Manchester, strong collaboration with criminal justice partners is driving improvements in efficiency and performance. Key areas of focus include police file quality, listing reviews to optimise court use, and ongoing cross-agency training to build capability and experience.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) standard and (b) capacity of custody cells in Greater Manchester.

Police custody is overseen by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). HMICFRS published its most recent custody inspection report into Greater Manchester Police’s custody provision on 8 February 2023. The report identified six causes of concern and 13 areas for improvement, including one area for improvement focused on the safety and environment of the custody suites. A further review in December 2023 led HMICFRS to take the view that, in light of the progress that the force had made, the six areas of causes of concern could be reduced to the less serious category of areas for improvement.National standards for police custody design, construction and refurbishment of police custody suites in England and Wales are set out in the Home Office Police Custody Design Guide, which provides guidance and national standards for police forces to adopt regarding police custody design and construction along with the refurbishment of existing suites.Policing is operationally independent of Government. Chief Constables and elected Police and Crime Commissioners are responsible and accountable for the operational management of their force and for local resourcing and estates, including custody suites.

When it plans to end the use of the Victoria Hotel in Oldham for the placement of asylum seekers.

It has been the longstanding policy of the Home Office under successive governments not to disclose information about specific hotels which may or may not be used for asylum accommodation. However, the Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil our statutory obligations and deliver our commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels, by the end of this Parliament.

What recent progress her Department has made on considering the application for the proposed new Eton State sixth form college in Oldham.

The department recognises the need for trusts, local authorities and Members of Parliament to have certainty about projects as soon as possible, and we will provide them with an update on next steps in due course.We have engaged with trusts, local authorities and other stakeholders in relation to individual projects in scope of the review, including gathering evidence on the local need for places, value for money, and the distinctiveness of the educational offer compared to what is already available locally.