Written questions by McMahon.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2025 to Question 94768 on Criminal Proceedings: Evidence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of lost, missing and damaged evidence collapsed court cases in the context of steps taken to reduce the court backlog and deliver successful trials; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of collating adequate data.

The Ministry of Justice does not collate data on cases that are not progressed due to lost, missing or damaged evidence. We keep our data gathering processes under constant review and will need to consider whether the areas identified in the question can feasibly be collected.Reducing the number of cases which are either delayed or collapse all together due to lost or missing evidence or mislaying of documents is important. As part of our ongoing efforts to improve timeliness and efficiency in our criminal courts, we asked Sir Brian Leveson to undertake a review of the court operations and make recommendations designed to boost court efficiency in Part 2 of his review. We are awaiting that report in the New Year and will look to act on its recommendations. It is vital that all partners, across the justice system, work together to create a sustainable justice system, including through the Criminal Justice Board, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Hospice at Home programme delivered by hospices such as Dr Kershaw’s in Oldham on patients.

Charitable hospices are independent, autonomous organisations that provide a wide range of services, many of which go beyond what statutory services are legally required to be delivered. Therefore, the Government does not collect or assess data on these services.Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which can include hospice services, delivered both in inpatient units and in people’s homes, available within the ICB catchment.The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of third-party campaigner regulations and levels of compliance in England.

Political parties, candidates and third-party campaigners are subject to strict campaign spending limits at UK elections and transparency requirements. As set out in our Strategy for Modern Elections, we are taking forward a package of measures to strengthen the rules around political finance, some of which will apply to third-party campaigners. This includes requiring recipients of donations to consider the risk of political donations being illegitimate, ensure political donors declare any benefit or sources of funding connected to their donation and tighten the rules around company donations by allowing them to donate only if they have a genuine connection to the UK or Ireland.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on practices for the safe evacuation of high rise buildings in the event of fire as building heights increase to over 70 stories.

Responsibility for fire safety building regulations and evacuation both now sit within MHCLG policy responsibilities. All new building work must meet the functional requirements of Building Regulations, including a means of warning and escape in case of fire to a place of safety outside the building that is capable of being safely and effectively used at all material times. In non-common building situations, which may include very tall buildings, a fire engineered solution may be necessary. Government published Means of escape in residential buildings earlier this year; this analysis covers evacuation strategies in relation to high-rise residential buildings, taking into account building design, fire alarm systems and human behaviour.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent steps to tackle problem gambling on online platforms.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, alongside the Gambling Commission, are currently conducting an evaluation of some of the key measures set out in the white paper ‘High Stakes: gambling reform for the digital age’, including online measures. The outcomes of this evaluation will be published in due course.

What discussions he has had with the Welsh government on increasing the economic potential of Holyhead Port relative to UK - Ireland trade.

Department for Business and Trade ministers and officials engage regularly with the Welsh Government on the modern industrial strategy, including the economic potential of Holyhead Port and Freeport. The Port of Holyhead carries substantial trade between Ireland and the UK. UKG has invested £20 million into the breakwater at the port, and Holyhead’s potential will be further advanced by the designation of the AI Growth Zone, as well the selection of Wylfa as the preferred site for small modular nuclear in the UK. UKG and WG officials have been working closely together to ensure these opportunities are maximised.

What assessment has been made of the volume, proportion and value of food waste in the NHS.

The National standards for healthcare food and drink include instructions on the measurement, reductions, and monitoring of food waste. Production, spoilage, unserved and plate waste are the areas of focus. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/national-standards-for-healthcare-food-and-drink/Data on food waste at National Health Service organisations is collected through the Estates Return Information Collection and is published at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collectionThe latest available figures are for 2024/25 and were published on 16 October 2025. As per these figures, there was 11,262 tonnes of domestic waste (food) weight, which represents 3% of the total waste, 377,079 tonnes, disposed of. This domestic waste cost £1,728,839, which represents 0.9% of the total waste disposal costs of £187,804,007.Over recent years, we have significantly improved how we measure food waste, so any apparent increases are more likely to be due to better measurement rather than an actual rise in waste produced.

What assessment he has made of MRI scanning waiting lists in (a) all Greater Manchester hospitals (b) Royal Oldham Hospital.

Data on diagnostic lists and waiting times is published at a National Health Service trust level and is available in the document attached. We do not hold data on waiting lists for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in the Royal Oldham Hospital.The following table shows the number of patients waiting for an MRI scan in all acute Greater Manchester NHS trusts, as well as the number and percentage waiting more than six weeks, with data being correct as of September 2025:Name of acute NHS trustTotal waiting list for MRI scans as of September 2025Number waiting more than six weeks for an MRI scan as of September 2025Percentage waiting more than six weeks for an MRI scan as of September 2025Bolton NHS Foundation Trust​63791.4%Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust​7,8071,51519.4%Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust, of which the Royal Oldham Hospital is a part6,1021802.9%Stockport NHS Foundation Trust​1,14580.7%Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust​91200%The Christie NHS Foundation Trust41281.9%Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust2,67535313.2%Total19,6902,07310.5% The national six week waiting times standard is that no more than one percent of patients waiting for an MRI scan should wait more than six weeks, or 42 days.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of business broadband connectivity speed and reliability on business growth, productivity and competitiveness in (a) Greater Manchester (b) Oldham.

The Government has not made any specific assessment of the impact of business connectivity with regards to the specific areas of Greater Manchester and Oldham.The Government’s view is that fast and reliable business broadband is critical for the growth of the economy, fostering innovation, and ensuring investment in the UK. In the Budget last month, the Chancellor set out that the government will work with Ofcom to support the availability and adoption of gigabit broadband solutions by business.In July, we published our draft updated Statement of Strategic Priorities to Ofcom, where we set out that the regulator should continue to ensure that businesses across the country are able to access the fast, reliable, and resilient broadband services they need to thrive.

What assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of blood donations by blood type.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood services in England. Since the amber alert for O group blood was lifted in July 2025, overall collections have remained strong, reaching 98% of the collection target, with an average of 119,500 units per month of blood collected, compared to 116,700 per month in the six months prior.NHSBT still faces challenges in maintaining stocks of B-, O-, and Ro blood groups. NHSBT currently meets approximately 50% of the demand for Ro type blood, with the remaining demand met by safely substituting, typically with B- and O-. This places further pressure on stocks for these groups.NHSBT has recently opened new donor centres and expanded the number of donation appointments available to grow its Ro, B-, and O- donor base and increase collections for these blood groups. Up-to-date blood stock statuses are available on NHSBT’s website at the following link:https://hospital.blood.co.uk/business-continuity/blood-stocks

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the network of publicly available defibrillators; whether there are any blackspots; and what steps he is taking to help ensure that all areas have access to defibrillators.

The Department’s Community Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Fund delivered 3,080 new AEDs to local communities between September 2023 and February 2025. These AEDs were prioritised for areas of greatest need. This included remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.The Government’s position is that local communities are best placed to make decisions about procuring, locating, and maintaining AEDs. Over 110,000 defibrillators are registered in the United Kingdom on The Circuit, the independent AED database. Over 30,000 of these have been added in the past two years, many as a result of local community led action.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving the take up of roof mounted solar retrofit equipment on existing agricultural buildings.

The Government is looking to facilitate and promote extensive deployment of rooftop solar on industrial and commercial property, including agricultural buildings.Our Solar Roadmap, published in June, sets out cross-Whitehall engagement to deliver action in the commercial solar space. Delivery of this and the other 71 Solar Roadmap actions is being monitored and supported by the government/industry Solar Council.

What discussions he has had with local authority trading standards teams about assessing the potential risk of purchasing imported e-bikes and e-scooters, and fire risk from sub standard batteries and chargers.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) within my Department leads the UK’s product safety framework, and works closely with Local Authority Trading Standards (LATS) to enforce product safety laws, including safety requirements for e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries. OPSS shares border profiling with LATS to target unsafe products entering the UK and supports LATS with training, testing and scientific advice. In 2024, OPSS funded a programme of LATS inspections of businesses repairing or modifying e-bike and e-scooter products to raise compliance.

What assessment she has made of the take up of cycling proficiency programmes in schools in (a) England (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Oldham.

The Bikeability programme is a key part of the Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. The programme delivers a range of cycle training activities aimed at giving children the skills and confidence to cycle on the road, and is mostly delivered through schools. Across England (outside London), Bikeability level 2 cycle training (on road) was delivered to 54% of year 6 children in 2025/6. In Greater Manchester it was 57% and in Oldham 39% (however this is a significant increase on 20% the previous year).

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of Heathrow expansion on regional airports such as Manchester.

Expanding Heathrow has the potential to support connections between the regions and London, and, in turn, between the UK’s regions and the global economy - giving the entire UK more access to Heathrow’s world-leading connectivity. Domestic connectivity is a key part of the Airports National Policy Statement that we are currently reviewing, and we will consult on any revisions by summer 2026.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of ghost number plate enforcement in England.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned and “ghost” number plates. It is already illegal to use a vehicle displaying cloned or “ghost” number plates.The enforcement of road traffic law and how available resources are deployed is the responsibility of individual Chief Officers and Police and Crime Commissioners, taking into account the specific local problems and demands with which they are faced. The Police are operationally independent and they will investigate each case according to its individual merits.This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. We are considering a range of policies under the new Road Safety Strategy; the first for ten years. This includes the case for changing the motoring offences. We are considering concerns raised by campaigns, Parliamentarians and bereaved families that Ministers have met.The Government intends to publish the Road Safety Strategy by the end of the year.

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of the lower rate of business rates retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers, revaluation, and transition arrangements on pubs, bars and restaurants.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties, including those in the hospitality sector as they recover from the pandemic. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including protection for ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, including pubs. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the trends in insourcing in adult social care and children social care in England.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government works closely with both the Department for Health and Social Care and Department for Education on the provision of, and funding for, social care services. Local Authorities are responsible for delivering adults and children’s social care services, and it is for them to decide how to deliver them locally and ensure there is adequate provision in their communities. The government is taking specific steps to ensure the delivery of quality care services that secure better outcomes whilst achieving value for money for the taxpayer; for example, investment in children’s residential care that includes creating 200 new placements in high-quality council-run children’s homes and powers through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to ensure financial oversight of the children’s care home market.

How much was spent on (a) taxis (b) buses (c) trains by her Department and its contractors for asylum seekers in it's care for each year from 2015 to date.

Transport services for asylum seekers are provided through our Asylum Accommodation & Support Contracts. We pay a fixed rate for transportation services which is set out in the contracts. Our suppliers must deliver transportation requirements in line with contractual standards and the fixed rate – with the type of transportation determined by our suppliers within this framework. Information on spend by specific transportation types is therefore not readily available.

What estimate has been made of the value of fines imposed on utility companies by highway authorities in England for each year from 2015 to date.

The Department for Transport has not made estimates of the value of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued to utility companies by highway authorities in England and does not hold data of this nature. While it is a legal requirement to raise FPNs in Street Manager, the Department only records information on the number of FPNs raised, which authority issued them, which utility company received them, and the reason for the FPN. Local highway authorities may hold data on the value of FPNs. The Department for Transport sets FPN amounts to encourage compliance with street works regulations. From 5 January 2026, FPNs will double from their current amount for certain offences, including working without a permit, breaching permit conditions, and failing to provide start and stop notices on time.