Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure the adequacy of the number of police officers in Merseyside police.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to effectively tackle crime. We are clear that visible policing is essential to restoring public confidence in the police.

As was set out in the Police Funding Settlement for 2025/26 Merseyside Police will be provided with a total of £14.8m to support maintenance of a total of 4,172 officers (headcount).

In addition, Merseyside Police has been allocated £6.67 million from the £200 million provided for 2025-26 to support the start of Neighbourhood Policing growth. Based on its funding allocation, Merseyside Police’s projected growth in neighbourhood policing during 2025-26 will be 97 police officers (full time equivalents).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress she has made on considering the capital funding request from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The fiscal position means that there have been tough choices to get us back on the path to recovery. It is in this context that the department is considering the request made for funding by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

I was pleased to meet with Andy Lock to discuss the outstanding work done by the organisation across Britain’s coalfields. I recognise that addressing the acute challenges faced by our coalfield communities will require greater partnership working between government and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, and I am committed to working in partnership with them to explore opportunities for collaboration.

This government remains committed to supporting our most disadvantaged communities. At Spending Review, we announced funding for up to 350 places. Of the 100 places announced, 15 are in coalfield areas. Details of the remaining places will be announced in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to extend the Prison Service Long Service Medal to operational officers in privately managed prisons.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Prison Services Long Service & Good Conduct Medal is awarded to operational staff in the UK Prison Services on completion of 20 years’ continuous meritorious service, and aligns operational public sector prison staff with comparable organisations such as the Police, Fire and Ambulance Services and the Armed Forces. It is a medal awarded by the Head of State to eligible state employees, details of which are set out in a Royal Warrant.

In 2016, the Cabinet Office confirmed that official medals of this type can only be awarded to staff working in public sector prisons and not those in prisons run by private sector companies. This is in line with the existing criteria used for the award of Long Service & Good Conduct Medals to the other Crown services.

Government policy on the Hillsborough Law