James McMurdock MP: written questions 2026
3310 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Wind Power: Conditions of EmploymentDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111586More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Clean energy funding to be tied to stronger workers’ rights, published on 4 February 2026, what mechanisms his Department will use to
Answer: Signing the fair work charter will be a condition of Clean Industry Bonus eligibility at the point of application. Enforcement during the delivery phase will be set out in the Charter’s governance chapter. It will set out the dispute resolution process ag...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordWind Power: Conditions of EmploymentDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111585More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Clean energy funding to be tied to stronger workers’ rights, published on 4 February 2026, what assessment his Department has made of
Answer: The Clean Industry Bonus will ensure public funding supports high quality jobs in offshore wind by requiring firms to sign a Fair Work Charter. The Fair Work Charter commits signatories to provide access to trade unions and to strive for best practice Hea...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordKevin BentleyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111413More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer given to question 109756 on 4 February 2026, for what reason he will not publish the representations received.
Answer: On 23 February, the Secretary of State has now provided an update to the House on local elections: WMS HCWS1349.
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMedia: EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111412More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the role of media literacy in helping children identify misleading or harmful online content.
Answer: Media literacy is currently covered in the citizenship, relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) and computing curricula.Following publication of the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report on 5 November 2025, vital applied knowl...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSchools: InternetDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111411More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure schools tackle gender-specific online harm.
Answer: The updated relationships, sex and health education guidance ensures that, from September 2026, schools will address gender‑based online harms including from pornography, deepfakes, sextortion and misogynistic content. It places new emphasis on challengin...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMedia: EducationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111410More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to promote media literacy among child users.
Answer: Supporting parents and children is central to our media literacy approach. On 10 February, DSIT launched a pilot media literacy communications campaign to give parents tools to help children build resilience and critical thinking skills online. A new Onli...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMedia: EducationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111409More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions with Ofcom on improving media literacy among parents and children.
Answer: The Online Safety Act updated Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy, including by raising awareness and understanding of misinformation and harmful content, especially where it affects vulnerable groups. The Secretary of State maintains regular...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordInternet: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111408More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what comparative assessment she has made of trends in the level of online harm experienced by (a) girls and (b) boys.
Answer: Making the online environment a safer place for children is a priority for this government.The Online Safety Act requires services to protect children from harmful and age-inappropriate content as well as proactively tackle the most harmful illegal conten...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111407More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of children under the age of 13 having personal social media profiles including public profile pictures on their safety.
Answer: To help companies comply with their duties under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom published guidance on the risks of illegal content and content to children as part of the Illegal Content Codes and Protection of Children Codes. The guidance notes the risks as...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMobile Phones: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111406More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department provides guidance to parents on the use of smartphones and internet-enabled devices by children of pre-school age.
Answer: The Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care are jointly working to produce and publish new practical, evidence informed guidance for parents on screentime for early years (0-5) by April 2026.An expert group of child health and de...
Answered 25 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMobile Phones: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111405More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of 3-5 year old children owning personal mobile devices and the implications for online safety.
Answer: Ofcom reported in 2025 that 17% of 3-5-year-olds have a smartphone. The Online Safety Act protects all children in UK Under the Act, services must protect children from illegal and age-inappropriate online content and conduct children’s risk assessments t...
Answered 25 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Social ServicesHome OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111404More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the long-term reliance of asylum seekers on local authority social care services.
Answer: The Home Office provides funding to local authorities, to assist with eligible expenditure costs of supporting asylum seekers in asylum accommodation in their areas, through the asylum dispersal grant. Expenditure for the funding may include, but not be l...
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: AsylumMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111403More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with the leader of Kent County Council on the potential impact of delays in asylum decision-making contribute on local authority social care costs.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: AsylumMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111402More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to publish regular forecasts of asylum-related social care costs incurred by local authorities.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: AsylumMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111401More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help reduce the concentration of asylum-related social care costs in a small number of local authorities.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: AsylumMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111400More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will list the ten local authorities which incurred the highest asylum-related social care costs in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answer: MHCLG collects data about local authorities’ spend on all services through the General Fund revenue outturn collection, including spend on social care for asylum seekers in the General Fund Revenue Account Outturn RO3 - Social Care and Public Health Servi...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordChildren in Care: AsylumHome OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111399More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the sustainability of current funding arrangements for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Answer: Support for looked after children, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, is the statutory responsibility of local authorities. The primary source of funding for local authority children's social care is through the Local Government Funding Sett...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordChildren in Care: AsylumHome OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111398More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average cost per unaccompanied asylum-seeking child to local authorities was in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answer: Support for looked after children, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, is the statutory responsibility of local authorities. The primary source of funding for local authority children's social care is through the Local Government Funding Sett...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordChildren in Care: AsylumHome OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111397More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children were supported by local authorities in each financial year since 2019-20.
Answer: The Home Office does not hold data on the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) supported by local authorities. Local authorities have a duty to provide services to all children in need in their area. Under section 20(1) of the Children A...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: AsylumMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111396More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of asylum-related social care costs on (a) council tax levels and (b) core service provision.
Answer: The government is committed to ensuring that funding is targeted effectively at the places and services that need it most. This includes committing to multi-year allocations for each council through the 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement and movi...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Social ServicesHome OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111395More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to fully reimburse local authorities for the costs of providing social care to asylum seekers.
Answer: The Home Office provides funding to local authorities, to assist with eligible expenditure costs of supporting asylum seekers in asylum accommodation in their areas, through the asylum dispersal grant. Expenditure for the funding may include, but not be l...
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: AsylumMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111394More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of local authority spending on asylum-related social care was reimbursed by central government in each financial year since 2019-20.
Answer: The government is committed to ensuring that funding is targeted effectively at the places and services that need it most. This includes committing to multi-year allocations for each council through the 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement and movi...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: AsylumMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111078More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of local authority expenditure on asylum-related social care in 2025-26 and 2026-27.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: AsylumMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111077More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on (a) changes in local authority spending on social care for asylum seekers between 2019-20 and 2024-25 and (b) the reasons for those chang
Answer: MHCLG collects data about local authorities’ spend on all services through the General Fund revenue outturn collection, including spend on social care for asylum seekers in the General Fund Revenue Account Outturn RO3 - Social Care and Public Health Servi...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: AsylumMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111076More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the cost to local authorities was of providing social care to asylum seekers in each financial year since 2019-20 by (a) adults, (b) children in families and (c) unaccompani
Answer: MHCLG collects data about local authorities’ spend on all services through the General Fund revenue outturn collection, including spend on social care for asylum seekers in the General Fund Revenue Account Outturn RO3 - Social Care and Public Health Servi...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
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