Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with police forces, motorcycle manufacturers and insurers on tackling motorcycle theft; and what steps the Government is taking to improve theft prevention, vehicle recovery rates and the disruption of organised motorcycle theft gangs.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office engages regularly with policing partners, industry and other stakeholders on vehicle crime, including through the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the National Vehicle Crime Working Group. These groups bring together police, government, vehicle manufacturers, insurers and representative groups, including those representing the motorcycle sector, to share intelligence, identify emerging threats and support theft prevention activity.
The Government is strengthening the police response to vehicle theft through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and new powers in the Crime and Policing Act, including powers to enter and search premises where GPS-tracked stolen property is believed to be located. We have also provided almost £1 million since 2024 to support enforcement activity against organised vehicle theft and export through the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership, with a further £300,000 being invested this year to disrupt organised criminal groups and improve vehicle recovery.
In the year to March 2026, the police in England and Wales recorded 115,448 incidents of theft of a motor vehicle, including motorcycles. This is a decrease of 5% compared with the previous year.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether local authority areas that are actively undertaking enforcement activity against organised criminality, illicit tobacco and vaping sales, and rogue high street businesses, but which are not currently designated as priority areas by the Home Office or National Crime Agency, will be eligible to access support from the High Street Crime Unit in the future; and what criteria will be used to determine eligibility for such support.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Through Operation Machinize, which is led by the National Crime Agency in conjunction with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, funding is available to all local authorities and law enforcement agencies to support operational activity against money laundering and associated serious and organised criminality on the High Street. Funding decisions are an operational matter for the NCA.
Since March 2025 Operation Machinize, has led to over 3,000 high street premises suspected of criminality having been visited and nearly 1,000 individuals arrested.
Separately, the High Street Organised Crime Unit, based in the Home Office, has been established to develop a long-term strategic response to tackle money laundering and associated criminality on the High Street. The unit is responsible for identifying what more is needed – from stronger powers to better coordination – to stop this criminal activity from happening in the first place.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Cheshire East Council will be eligible to access support from the High Street Crime Unit in future, in the context of its ongoing multi-agency enforcement activity against organised crime, illicit tobacco and vape sales, and rogue high street businesses.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Through Operation Machinize, which is led by the National Crime Agency in conjunction with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, funding is available to all local authorities and law enforcement agencies to support operational activity against money laundering and associated serious and organised criminality on the High Street. Funding decisions are an operational matter for the NCA.
Since March 2025 Operation Machinize, has led to over 3,000 high street premises suspected of criminality having been visited and nearly 1,000 individuals arrested.
Separately, the High Street Organised Crime Unit, based in the Home Office, has been established to develop a long-term strategic response to tackle money laundering and associated criminality on the High Street. The unit is responsible for identifying what more is needed – from stronger powers to better coordination – to stop this criminal activity from happening in the first place.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the extent to which proposed SEND reforms will improve coordination between schools, local authorities, and mental health services in identifying and supporting children with complex educational and mental health needs at an earlier stage.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). As part of the SEND consultation, the government committed to strengthening local SEND partnerships and planning across the country. The response to the consultation will set out how the department will strengthen partnership and multi-agency working across the country, including early years settings, Best Start Family Hubs, and wider partners, to ensure need is identified at the earliest possible point. The Information Sharing Duty of the Children Wellbeing and Schools Act, which commences on 30 September, will further support multi agency information sharing to improve earlier identification of need in relation to promoting the welfare of children.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to introduce further funding streams specifically aimed at supporting mixed-use town centre regeneration in post-industrial towns.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is committed to revitalising high streets, including by supporting mixed use regeneration. A High Streets Strategy will be published this year, and we will set out more details on funding plans in due course, and we are keen to learn from the challenges and good practice across the country.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential animal welfare implications of importing seafood products from the Faroe Islands; and whether animal welfare considerations will form part of future reviews of the UK's trade arrangements with the Faroe Islands.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to upholding high animal welfare standards in all of our trading relationships, with Faroese imports subject to the UK’s strict quality and standards regime.
There are currently no plans to formally review the terms of the UK-Faroe Islands Free Trade Agreement (FTA). However, the Government will continue to raise animal welfare with the Faroe Islands at every appropriate opportunity, including via the UK-Faroe Islands FTA Joint Committee, which last met in June 2026.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she plans to publish the updated statutory guidance on social housing allocations referred to in the National Plan to End Homelessness.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department is reviewing the statutory guidance on social housing allocations. To inform this review, the Department has invited evidence from local authorities, housing associations, charities, academics, tenant groups and others with experience of allocations. Evidence gathered will inform policy development and updated guidance. The Department aims to consult on updated guidance in early 2027.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to review national guidance on CAMHS referrals and prioritisation to ensure that children and young people with autism, OCD, ADHD and related neurodevelopmental conditions can access specialist mental health support before their condition reaches the point of requiring hospitalisation.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Last December, we asked clinical psychologist Professor Peter Fonagy to lead an independent review, examining the prevalence of, and support for, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and mental health conditions. Professor Fonagy's final report will be published later this year, and will inform our new national approach in this area.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of whether CAMHS triage and prioritisation systems are effectively identifying and prioritising children and young people whose mental health is rapidly deteriorating, but who have not yet reached crisis thresholds.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Last December, we asked clinical psychologist Professor Peter Fonagy to lead an independent review, examining the prevalence of, and support for, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and mental health conditions. Professor Fonagy's final report will be published later this year, and will inform our new national approach in this area.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing additional funding to local authorities to support the use of High Street Rental Auctions in areas with persistent commercial vacancy.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities are not required to notify the Department if they adopt High Street Rental Auction (HSRA) powers and therefore the Department does not hold comprehensive data on take-up. However, through regular engagement with local authorities, we are aware of more than 40 councils that have either implemented or are actively preparing to use HSRAs.
The Government recognises that there are costs associated with implementing the powers and is currently gathering evidence from local authorities to review the HSRA new burdens payments. Through this engagement, councils have highlighted additional costs associated with identifying suitable vacant premises and refurbishment of long-term vacant premises. To that end, the Government has announced a £10 million funding package to support HSRA implementation. Further details will be made available in due course.