Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of (a) police officers (b) PCSOs and (c) support staff remaining on restrictive duties pending an investigation for misconduct in England.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold information on the number of police officers and staff currently on restricted duties pending an investigation for misconduct.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of children who have an unmet SEND need in England.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The requested information is not held by the department.
The department publishes information on the number and proportion of pupils with special educational needs as at January each year. The latest information available indicates that 19.5% of pupils have special educational needs (SEN) support or an education, health and care (EHC) plan. This publication, from January 2025, is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2024-25.
It may also be useful to note that the Education Policy Institute has conducted research on a longitudinal dataset that gathers information on SEN support and EHC plan status for pupils who started school in 2008 and reached Year 11 in 2019. This research indicates that 37% of these pupils were recorded as having SEN support or an EHC plan at some point during this period. Their report is available at: https://epi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SEND-Final-Report-version-FINAL-04.02.2024-2.pdf.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the government has made an assessment of the trends in the range and take up of lifelong learning and evening class courses since 2015.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government recognises the importance of lifelong learning, funding a range of courses across further education (FE) and higher education (HE) for adult learners.
We do not collect data on delivery mechanisms in FE. Part-time and full-time data for HE is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/higher-level-learners-in-england/2023-24.
We allow providers the flexibility to decide how to offer provision, including when and how courses should be offered. Provision can be offered in a range of different ways to meet the needs of learners, for example Tailored Learning, primarily non-qualification-based provision tailored to the needs of learners, and which may be delivered in evenings.
The Adult Skills Fund fully funds or co-funds courses for eligible adults aged 19 and over from pre-entry to level 3 and supports four statutory entitlements to full funding.
We are also introducing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, which will provide greater flexibility for individuals of all ages to study on terms that suit their needs.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the take up of flu vaccinations so far this year.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
For England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes provisional vaccine uptake data throughout the flu season. Weekly national level data for general practice (GP) patients is available from October to January, at the following link:
Monthly national and regional level data for GP patients, school-aged children, and frontline healthcare workers is available from October to January. The first monthly data for the 2025 to 2026 season includes all vaccinations given between 1 September to 31 October 2025, and is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#seasonal-flu-vaccine-uptake:-figures
Compared with the equivalent time period last season, from 2024 to 2025, influenza vaccine uptake is higher in two and three year olds, school-aged children, pregnant women, and frontline healthcare workers, and for those who are aged 65 years old and over and those in clinical at-risk groups, uptake is comparable, with a less than a 1% difference.
Final end of season data is published in the annual reports in late spring, with data available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#seasonal-flu-vaccine-uptake:-figures
Annual reports contain final end of season data from multiple previous seasons.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the trends in the levels of life expectancy in (a) England, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Oldham; and what progress is being made to improve outcomes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Life expectancy estimates for England and sub-national areas are produced by the Office for National Statistics and are available at the following link:
Following falls in 2020, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, life expectancy has since increased for both sexes in England, Greater Manchester, and Oldham. For both sexes, life expectancy in each of these areas in 2024 was similar to pre-pandemic estimates for 2019. Life expectancy in Greater Manchester and Oldham remains significantly lower than in England.
The Government is committed to addressing health inequalities through a comprehensive, long-term, and collaborative approach, rooted in the priorities outlined in the Government's 10-Year Health Plan. This includes an ambition to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions, while raising healthy life expectancy for everyone. Central to this is a shift from treating illness to prioritising prevention, thereby ensuring that every individual, regardless of background or financial circumstance, has the opportunity for better health outcomes.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the cost of building materials on house building costs.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Construction costs have increased 52% over the past ten years. Prices are now stable, rising only 1% between January 2024 and January 2025.
We are taking urgent action to support housebuilding and meet our mission to build 1.5m homes through bold planning reforms and a record £39bn investment to kickstart social and affordable housebuilding at scale across the country.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of professional accreditation of home care workers on levels of recruitment and retention; and what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on this issue.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are beneficial effects of accredited qualifications and structured learning on the recruitment and retention of care workers. Skills for Care data shows that turnover rates are approximately 10% lower for staff who hold a relevant qualification compared to those without. Additionally, staff who received more than 30 instances of training evidenced a turnover rate 3.4% lower than those who recorded only one to five instances, with further information available in Skills for Care’s the ‘State of’ report at the following link:
The Department introduced the Care Workforce Pathway, the first universal career structure for adult social care, which sets out clear skills, and progression routes to help retain staff and attract newcomers by recognising care workers as professionals and promoting development opportunities.
Additionally, we launched the Learning and Development Support Scheme, which provides funding support for training, including recognised qualifications like the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, which provides a portable, recognised foundation of skills and knowledge, aiming to reduce duplication of training and increase retention. Furthermore, the Quality Assured Care Learning Service ensures training is high-quality, meets sector needs, and supports career growth.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the take up of free school meals is for those eligible; and what measures are in place to increase take up.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. The latest school census data shows 2,171,916 pupils claimed benefits-based free school meals (FSM). In total, 25.7% of all pupils claimed benefits-based FSM. This is an increase from the previous academic year, where 24.6% claimed a free meal. A further 1,265,399 pupils received a meal under our universal infant free school meal policy, representing 88.4% of non-FSM eligible infant pupils. This is increase on 87.6% the previous academic year.
Introducing a new eligibility threshold for free school meals of all children from households in receipt of universal credit will make it easier for parents to know whether they are entitled to receive free meals.
To support take-up, we are also updating the Eligibility Checking System, which will make it easier for LAs, schools and parents to check if children are eligible for FSM and can therefore receive a healthy, nutritious meal during the school day. This new entitlement will mean over 500,000 of the most disadvantaged children will begin to access free meals, pulling 100,000 children out of poverty.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) effectiveness and (b) timeliness of patient referrals between organisations in the NHS.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We’re improving referral processing by introducing a Single Point of Access model, which will provide consistent clinical triage and use digital solutions to streamline processes and reduce duplication. This will ensure patients are directed to the right care quickly.
To support general practitioners and avoid delays, we’re introducing national standards for response times and guidance to underpin clinical triage and advice quality. These will be monitored locally by integrated care boards and reviewed regularly.
The NHS App also already allows people to book and manage their secondary care referrals in 100% of acute trusts, with 89% allowing patients to manage follow up appointments too, with 100% expected in 2026.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how are post-16 options such as apprenticeships, technical qualifications and other vocational routes being reformed; and what outcomes data she plans to publish on progression and earnings.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners, and support the Industrial Strategy. In August, the government introduced new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors, and shorter duration apprenticeships.
In October, we published a consultation which sets out our proposals for reformed qualifications pathways at level 3 and level 2. This includes a third, vocational pathway at level 3 called V Levels, and two new pathways at level 2 through the Further Study pathway and the Occupational pathway. The consultation closes on 12 January 2026 and can be accessed here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/technical-education-and-qualifications-reform/post-16-level-3-and-below-pathways/supporting_documents/post-16-level-3-and-below-pathways-consultationpdf.
The department publishes an annual official statistics publication which presents the employment, earnings and learning outcomes of further education learners. The statistics can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcomes/2021-22#explore-data-and-files.