Written questions by McMahon.

How much was spent on probation services in (a) Greater Manchester (b) Oldham for each year from 2015 to date.

The data below shows the annual spend for Probation services in the Greater Manchester Probation Region and Oldham since 2021. 2021-222022-232023-242024-25 £m£m£m£mGreater Manchester Probation Service44.558.866.772.1 2021-222022-232023-242024-25 £m£m£m£mProbation Delivery Unit (PDU) Oldham1.82.22.52.7 To note:Data prior to July 2021 is unable to be reported on, due to the structure of probation regions following Transforming Rehabilitation in 2014 where a National Probation Service (NPS) for high-risk work, and 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) for low/medium risk were created.Under the National Probation Service, Greater Manchester was part of a wider area called North West Division.The unification of CRCs and the National Probation Service (NPS) in England and Wales took place on 26 June 2021, creating The Probation Service and marked a significant restructuring of the probation system.

Whether she has had discussions with Uber on the recognition of local Trade Union branches for its drivers.

The recognition of local trade union branches has not been discussed with Uber.

What measures are in place to help increase defence supply chain apprenticeships in the North West.

As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, we launched a £182 million skills package which includes initiatives that will support apprenticeships in the defence sector, including the North West. This includes the Graduate and Apprenticeship Clearing System, which will help those candidates who narrowly missed out on a apprenticeship with a defence prime to find other opportunities within the defence supply chain. This will build on the successful apprentice ecosystem that exists in the North West, including BAE Systems’ Skills Academy at Samlesbury and the Submarine Academy for Skills and Knowledge in Barrow-in-Furness.

How many Government-registered vehicles are declared as being off the road with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).

The Government Car Service (GCS) provides secure transport for Government Ministers and senior officials. There are currently no GCS vehicles declared as being off the road with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). Some other departments operate their own fleets of vehicles, about which the Cabinet Office does not hold information.

If he will take steps to establish Cadet units in Oldham; and whether he will make available funding, resources and organisational assistance to facilitate their formation in areas without Cadet units.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 September 2025 to Question 76173 to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Dr Al Pinkerton). https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-09-09/76173

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of making mandatory directions to schools in England to ban mobile phones in the classroom.

Mobile phones have no place in school and school leaders already have the power to ban them. The department’s guidance on mobile phones in schools, published in February 2024, is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices with smart technology throughout the school day, including during lessons, transitions and breaks.We expect all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning. If pupils fail to follow those rules, schools have the power to confiscate devices. Research from the Children’s Commissioner published in April 2025, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that the overwhelming majority of schools (99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools) already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.

What funding has been allocated to local authorities in England to lead local community energy schemes.

Great British Energy (GBE) and the UK government will turbocharge support for local and community energy projects across the UK. As such, Local Government has a vital role to play in the energy transition. To support this, £6.8 million has been allocated to maintain Local Net Zero Hubs located across England, which provide free expertise and resources to help local authorities deliver clear energy projects. GBE is in the process of developing its longer-term funding offer and strategic support for working with Local Government and Community Energy Groups, as well as working with devolved governments. This includes commercial, technical and project planning assistance to increase capability and capacity to build a pipeline of successful projects in local areas. As set out in their Strategic Plan, published on 4 December 2025, GBE aims to support over 1,000 local and community projects by 2030.

What estimate has been made of the volume, proportion and value of food waste in (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools, (c) colleges and (d) universities.

Schools, colleges and universities are responsible for their day-to-day running, including their meals service and waste management. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has engaged closely with the department and representative organisations from the education sector to raise awareness of the requirements and provide guidance and resources to support compliance.

What assessment her Department has made of the factors causing increased numbers of Education, Health and Care Plans to be issued, including in Oldham.

There are a range of views as to why demand for education, health and care (EHC) plans has increased. This is why the department is continuing an extensive programme of engagement to gather insight and evidence that allows us to shape a proposed reform programme that prioritises early intervention, fairness and effective evidence-based support.As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education outlined in her letter to the Chair of the Education Select Committee, we must move towards a system where high quality support is provided as soon as a need is identified, rather than only once an EHC plan is in place. Every school should be resourced and able to meet common and predictable needs, including as they change over time, without parents having to fight for support.As part of our Plan for Change, we are determined to make changes to the special educational needs and disabilities system, restore the trust of parents by ensuring early years, schools and colleges have the tools to better identify need early, and support children and young people before issues escalate. We will share more information on plans for reform in a full Schools White Paper in the new year.

Communities and Local Government, what process his Department plans to use to allocate funding following the end of UK Shared Prosperity Fund in regions and counties without an elected mayor.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will conclude in March 2026. Looking ahead, the government is introducing a long-term approach to local growth, providing sustained and predictable support for local authorities through the Local Government Finance Settlement and complemented by targeted interventions designed to drive local growth and strengthen communities. The recent Spending Review provided over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on, including £3.4 billion of new grant funding through the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026-27 to 2028-29. In addition, a new Local Growth Fund will target 11 mayoral city regions in the North and Midlands with the greatest potential for productivity catchup and agglomeration. Further, the Pride in Place programme is providing up to £5bn over 10 years to support 244 places across the country, helping build strong, resilient and integrated communities in areas that experience the most entrenched social and economic challenges.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of online platforms scraping news articles produced by UK newspapers.

UK newspapers at national and local level play an invaluable role in the fabric of our society and we are committed to supporting a free, sustainable and plural media landscape. Rapid recent developments in generative AI pose both significant risks and opportunities for news media, including with regard to the scraping of news articles for use in AI development. We are engaging with press stakeholders on this. The Media Minister and the Technology Secretary each held roundtables earlier this year with publishers and broadcasters to discuss the impact of AI on journalism. The Government intends to support our news media to capitalise on the huge potential benefits of the technology, while mitigating its risks. This includes with regard to our work to ensure a copyright framework which values and protects human creativity, can be trusted, and unlocks new opportunities for innovation across creative sectors, including news media, and the wider economy. A number of news media representatives are also involved in the Government’s Technical Working Groups established in November to consider this work in more detail.The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (2024) gave new powers to the Competition and Markets Authority (the CMA) to both boost competition and innovation in the UK digital tech sector, and ensure the largest digital firms treat consumers and UK businesses fairly, including news publishers. The CMA concluded its first investigations in October 2025, designating Google with SMS in search, and both Apple and Google with SMS in mobile ecosystems. The CMA will now consult on conduct requirements which Google and Apple must adhere to. These conduct requirements will be based on fair dealing, open choices, and increasing trust and transparency.

What plans the Government has to conduct an inquiry, investigation or review into foreign interference at elections and with elected members at all levels.

It is, and always will be, an absolute priority for this Government to protect our democratic and electoral processes. This is why on 18 November, I set out a Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan to disrupt and deter foreign influence and spying from foreign states. We recognise that elected representatives are potential targets for foreign influence and interference. In October 2025, the National Protective Security Agency published its guidance on how members of Parliament and their Parliamentary staff can protect themselves from foreign states and its proxies in relation to espionage and foreign interference.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of future road and rail freight capacity in the North of England following the cancellation of HS2.

Following the previous government’s cancellation of Phase 2, HS2 is now being delivered between Euston in central London and the West Midlands. The dedicated HS2 infrastructure from London to Birmingham and the West Midlands will release capacity on the West Coast Main Line which can be used to support additional rail freight services. The use of the released capacity is not yet developed, and decisions will be made closer to the opening of HS2 and be subject to consultation. We recognise concerns about rail capacity and connectivity between Birmingham and Manchester and we are reviewing our plans for future connectivity in the Midlands and the North. The government is committed to supporting rail freight growth with the Rail Freight growth target to increase it by 75% by 2050.

Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to being forward legislation to (a) ban and (b) limit mobile phone and broadband above inflation contract increases.

We have no current plans to legislate to ban or limit above inflation contract price increases for mobile and broadband. Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator, introduced rules in January 2025 which required that any in-contract price rises must be set out prominently and transparently in pounds and pence so that consumers can make better informed choices. These rules banned in-contract price rises being linked to inflation. On 25 November, the Chancellor and Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom to request an interim review of the new rules by spring 2026 and a full review in 2027.

What financial support she has provided to areas affected by HS2 cancellation for inherited liabilities and costs incurred.

We are mindful that the previous Government’s decision to cancel Phases 2a and 2b had a significant impact on local communities. The Department has been working with HS2 Ltd to minimise as far as is possible the disruption caused by this decision for local authorities and affected landowners.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for canal maintenance.

Canal maintenance, and ensuring funding for it, is the responsibility of navigation authorities. The Government provides the largest navigation authority, the Canal and River Trust, with an annual grant of £52.6 million to support the Trust’s network maintenance programme. This represented 22% of the Trust’s total income of £232 million last year.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of modern slavery adherence by employers who have published Modern Slavery statements.

The government is committed to tackling modern slavery, ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted. All businesses should monitor their supply chains with rigour to uncover, report where appropriate, and remedy any instances of modern slavery they may find in their operations and supply chains. Under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, commercial businesses who operate in the UK and have a turnover of £36m or more must produce annual modern slavery statements setting out the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. The Home Office does not routinely review the quality or accuracy of individual modern slavery statements or assess compliance with the section 54 requirements. Section 54 was designed to increase transparency, allowing scrutiny by consumers, investors, and civil society. Section 54 has helped bring greater awareness of modern slavery in boardrooms across the country, but it is clear a decade after the Act, the UK’s approach needs to evolve. The government is considering how it can strengthen the section 54 regime, including penalties for non-compliance. Significant long-term reform will take time, and in the interim, the Home Office published new section 54 statutory guidance in March. This new guidance is more comprehensive, practical and ambitious – calling on businesses to go further and faster.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of plans to reduce vehicle generated air pollution in Greater Manchester as an alternative to the now cancelled charging Clean Air Zone proposal.

We agreed in January 2025 an £86m plan for Greater Manchester to help reduce pollution from vehicles and clean up the region’s air. The plan includes support for cleaner buses, local traffic measures and moving Greater Manchester’s taxi fleet to cleaner vehicles. The plan was agreed by Government following assessment of evidence provided by Greater Manchester authorities that it was likely to achieve compliance with legal nitrogen dioxide limits in the shortest possible time, including in comparison to the alternative of a Clean Air Zone.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of profit per placement for private children’s homes in England.

The Competition and Markets Authority’s 2022 report on the children’s social care market found that the 15 largest providers of placements for looked-after children were making an average profit of 22.6% on children’s homes. In addition, reports from Revolution Consulting found that aggregate profits among the top 20 children’s homes providers, measured using the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) method, increased from 18.8% to 19.8% between 2021 and 2022. In 2023, the average EBITDA margin was 19%, although this figure excludes Caretech, the largest provider. The department’s work to improve the data that both we and local authorities have access to on the children’s social care placement market, and the financial oversight scheme we are legislating for through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, will enable greater central government oversight. This work will help us to keep the market under close review.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of financial restrictions on the ability of victims of civil online defamation and harassment to take action.

Individuals who believe they have been defamed online can bring a claim under the tort of defamation, provided it meets the statutory requirements in the Defamation Act 2013, including demonstrating that the statement has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to their reputation.Victims of harassment can seek civil remedies under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, which allows applications for injunctions to prevent further harassment and, in some cases, claims for damages.As with any civil claim there are costs involved which may involve seeking professional advice. The general principle in England and Wales is, however, that legal costs are recoverable; usually the losing party pays the costs, as well as their own, following the event.To help manage the costs of litigation, individuals may wish to consider a range of funding options, including conditional fee agreements, damages-based agreements, and insurance products such as after-the-event cover. Third-party litigation funding may also be available in some circumstances.Civil legal aid may be available for injunctions to protect people against harassment. Eligibility depends on both the nature and merits of the case and the applicant’s financial circumstances.