Written questions by Coombes.

What steps she is taking to help ensure that the Automatic Number Plate Recognition network is able to identify (a) false and (b) cloned number plates.

ANPR is a valuable tool to help the police tackle crime and keep the road safe. We keep the effectiveness of police and law enforcement use of ANPR under regular review, to ensure it remains a robust tool for identifying vehicles of interest to the police and drivers who break the law.Non-compliant and mis-represented plates are a significant concern to policing and law enforcement agencies. The DVLA and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) are working closely with Trading Standards, local authorities and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.The law requires anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK to be registered with the DVLA and for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the number plates they have supplied. Those found to have committed number plate offences can be prosecuted by the police.I met the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) lead on ANPR in April to discuss the challenges associated with cloned licence plates and the potential role for ANPR in helping to tackle them.

What recent discussions she has had with the Financial Conduct Authority' on it's ability to act evidence of (a) malpractice and (b) criminality.

The government meets regularly with the FCA to discuss a range of topics. The government is content that the legislative framework, set by parliament, which gives the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) powers to supervise the financial services sector and enforce rules, is appropriate, and that the FCA has the correct tools available to enable it to investigate and act on evidence of malpractice and criminality. The FCA is required by legislation to have regard to the principle that regulators should exercise their functions as transparently as possible. The FCA is also required not to disclose confidential information it receives in the course of carrying out its functions, with limited exceptions including where required to carry out its functions or otherwise required by law. The government expects the FCA to act in accordance with high standards of transparency and operational efficiency, and will continue to hold the FCA to account for how it exercises its functions.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Financial Conduct Authority's powers to seek redress for the victims of financial fraud.

The Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this devastating crime. In October 2024, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) introduced a mandatory reimbursement regime for authorised push payment (APP) scams which take place over the Faster Payments system, as required by the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) 2023. The PSR’s regime requires payment service providers to reimburse victims for losses up to £85,000 for scams which took place after 7 October 2024. In cases where consumers have been impacted by financial fraud and are not covered by these rules, they should contact their bank in the first instance. Victims may have access to recourse through the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), which can consider individual complaints between consumers and financial firms. This includes on fraud providing the activity is within the FOS’s jurisdiction, which is set by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FOS can consider whether or not the firm has acted fairly, however, any criminal investigation would be a matter for the police. HM Treasury is working with colleagues in the Home Office as they develop a new, expanded Fraud Strategy. This will be published in due course as part of the Government’s Plan for Change and in line with our manifesto commitments.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of the Financial Conduct Authority in balancing its confidentiality obligations with the need to provide transparency and effective communication to individuals who report potential financial misconduct.

The government meets regularly with the FCA to discuss a range of topics. The government is content that the legislative framework, set by parliament, which gives the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) powers to supervise the financial services sector and enforce rules, is appropriate, and that the FCA has the correct tools available to enable it to investigate and act on evidence of malpractice and criminality. The FCA is required by legislation to have regard to the principle that regulators should exercise their functions as transparently as possible. The FCA is also required not to disclose confidential information it receives in the course of carrying out its functions, with limited exceptions including where required to carry out its functions or otherwise required by law. The government expects the FCA to act in accordance with high standards of transparency and operational efficiency, and will continue to hold the FCA to account for how it exercises its functions.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of non-compliant number plates on levels revenue to traffic enforcement forces.

The Home Office has not made an assessment of the potential impact of non-compliant number plates on the levels of revenue to traffic enforcement forces.The Government is working closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), Trading Standards, local authorities and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

If she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of (a) taxi and (b) private hire vehicles that use number plates that do not conform with regulations.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, various police forces and Trading Standards in relation to the supply and use of illegal number plates as well as number plates with raised characters, commonly known as ‘4D plates’. Some 4D plates can also be described as ‘ghost’ plates where the characters are constructed from materials that are unable to be read by infrared Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems. Work is currently ongoing to quantify the number of illegal plates that may be in circulation, which would include on taxis and private hire vehicles.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the support available for UK-based downstream steel companies that are seeking to decarbonise their industrial processes.

We are developing a suite of policies to enable industry, including UK-based downstream steel companies, to deliver savings through fuel switching from fossil fuels to low carbon alternatives. As we do so, we are closely engaging with industry, both with sector trade associations as well as with manufacturers directly, to identify and understand the challenges, barriers and costs of their decarbonisation pathways. For example, we published a summary of responses to our Call for evidence on Enabling Industrial Electrification in September 2024 (https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/enabling-industrial-electrification-a-call-for-evidence). To give longer-term confidence for industry to decarbonise, a renewed Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy will set the strategic direction for our approach to working with industry towards a competitive and low carbon industrial base in the UK, ensuring growth opportunities are captured in tandem with emissions reductions. More widely, we are determined to work towards a bright future for steel through our steel strategy. The Government stands by our manifesto commitment to invest up to £2.5bn in steel through the National Wealth Fund and other routes.

How much funding her Department has provided for improving Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems in the last three years.

A total of £85.45 million has been provided for maintaining and improving national Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems in the last three years.ANPR technology is used for law enforcement purposes, to help detect, deter and disrupt criminality at a local, force, regional and national level.

What her planned timeframe is for publishing a road safety strategy.

This Government treats road safety with the utmost seriousness, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My Department is developing the first road safety strategy in over a decade, and will set out more details in due course.

What steps he is taking with National Trading Standards to tackle the sale of ghost number plates.

National Trading Standards (NTS) are working with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), local authorities and the police to address the supply and use of modified number plates. The evidence gathered following a multi-agency investigation by the DVLA, the National Trading Standards Intelligence Team and police forces across the UK will be considered by the NTS National Tasking Group when evaluating potential future action to address this issue.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of updating the guidance entitled Taxi and private hire vehicle licensing best practice guidance for licensing authorities in England, published on 17 November 2023, to include guidance on compliance with registration plate regulations.

It is an offence for any vehicle to display a vehicle registration number plate that does not comply with the relevant regulations. Work is ongoing to quantify the number of illegal plates that may be in circulation on our roads, which will include taxis and private hire vehicles. The evidence gathered will be considered when evaluating potential future action, such as amending the best practice guidance, that may be taken to address this issue.

Whether she is taking steps to ensure that all schools in Sandwell are listing teaching jobs with a (a) main and (b) upper pay scale.

For maintained schools, the school teachers’ pay and conditions document (STPCD) sets out which pay range would be appropriate for any teaching role advertised in England, including Sandwell, and includes the main and upper pay ranges. The document is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-teachers-pay-and-conditions.Non-maintained schools, including academies and free schools, are responsible for determining the pay and conditions of their staff. Such schools are therefore not currently obliged to follow the statutory arrangements set out in the STPCD, although they may still choose to do so if they wish.However, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department will require academies to have regard to the STPCD, ensuring an established starting point for all state schools while giving confidence that existing or future changes which benefit teachers and pupils, will be able to continue.Taken together, the Bill measures and the changes we make through secondary legislation following this Bill will create a pay floor with no ceiling, ensuring all state school teachers can rely on a core pay offer and all schools can innovate to attract and retain the best teachers.For either maintained or academy schools, it would be for the individual school to determine for themselves, when advertising vacant posts, whether the requirements of the post are more suited to the main or upper pay range, depending on the school’s budget and the range of experience and skills that applying candidates demonstrate.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of recent trends in levels of police (a) time and (b) resources used to investigate Automatic Number Plate Recognition camera mis-reads.

A total of £85.45 million has been provided for maintaining and improving national Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems in the last three years.ANPR technology is used for law enforcement purposes, to help detect, deter and disrupt criminality at a local, force, regional and national level.

If she will take steps to tackle the use of ghost number plates on public highways.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs Council, various police forces and Trading Standards in relation to the supply and use of modified number plates, including those commonly known as ‘ghost plates’. The police are responsible for on road enforcement of existing number plate offences. It is already an offence to display a vehicle registration number that does not comply with the relevant regulations. Work is ongoing to quantify the number of illegal plates that may be in circulation. The evidence gathered will be considered when evaluating potential future action that may be taken to address this issue.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of regulations governing the use of ghost number plates..

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs Council, various police forces and Trading Standards in relation to the supply and use of modified number plates, including those commonly known as ‘ghost plates’. The police are responsible for on road enforcement of existing number plate offences. It is already an offence to display a vehicle registration number that does not comply with the relevant regulations. Work is ongoing to quantify the number of illegal plates that may be in circulation. The evidence gathered will be considered when evaluating potential future action that may be taken to address this issue.

If she will make an estimate of the number of ghost plates in circulation.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, various police forces and Trading Standards in relation to the supply and use of illegal number plates as well as number plates with raised characters, commonly known as ‘4D plates’. Some 4D plates can also be described as ‘ghost’ plates where the characters are constructed from materials that are unable to be read by infrared Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems. Work is currently ongoing to quantify the number of illegal plates that may be in circulation, including ‘ghost’ plates.

What discussions she has had with taxi licensing authorities on enforcement on illegal stealth number plates.

We are aware of the issue of ghost plates being used on vehicles, including taxis and private hire vehicles. We would expect licensing authorities to work with the police to address this.

What estimate she has made of the number of vehicle number plate cloning offences in the last five years.

The Home Office does not hold information on the number of vehicle number plate cloning offences recorded by the police in England and Wales as this is included within the offence sub-code of ‘Fraud and forgery associated with registration and licensing documents’ offences.The table shows the total number of such offences recorded, from 2019/20 to the year ending September 2024.Table: the number of ‘Fraud, forgery etc. associated with registration and licensing documents’ offences recorded by the police in England and Wales1, 2019/20 to the year ending September 2024.YearOffences2019/2024472020/213762021/224192022/233622023/24393 Year ending September 2023373Year ending September 20244711. Humberside police are excluded from all years, as they have been unable to provide data to the Home Office Data Hub2. 2019/20 excludes Greater Manchester police, who were unable to provide data to the Home Office Data Hub for this period.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation to prevent the sale of novelty number plates.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), various police forces and Trading Standards in relation to the supply and use of illegal number plates as well as number plates with raised characters, commonly known as ‘4D plates’. Some 4D plates can also be described as ‘ghost’ plates where the characters are constructed from materials that are unable to be read by infrared Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems. Work is currently ongoing to quantify the number of illegal plates that may be in circulation.It is already an offence to sell number plates that do not meet the requirements of the relevant legislation. That offence is punishable by a fine of up to £2,500. The DVLA works with the police and Trading Standards to help prosecute suppliers found to be operating outside of the law. Number plates are currently supplied by private businesses who are required to be registered with the DVLA. Suppliers who fail to request proof of identification or entitlement to the registration number can be subject to enforcement action, including fines and removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers via a court order.

What discussions her Department has had with the DVLA on 4D number plates.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), various police forces and Trading Standards in relation to the supply and use of illegal number plates as well as number plates with raised characters, commonly known as ‘4D plates’. Some 4D plates can also be described as ‘ghost’ plates where the characters are constructed from materials that are unable to be read by infrared Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems. Work is currently ongoing to quantify the number of illegal plates that may be in circulation.It is already an offence to sell number plates that do not meet the requirements of the relevant legislation. That offence is punishable by a fine of up to £2,500. The DVLA works with the police and Trading Standards to help prosecute suppliers found to be operating outside of the law. Number plates are currently supplied by private businesses who are required to be registered with the DVLA. Suppliers who fail to request proof of identification or entitlement to the registration number can be subject to enforcement action, including fines and removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers via a court order.