James McMurdock MP: written questions 2026

3310 published records · newest first.

Written questions

Department for Education: Written QuestionsDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111075More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to provide a response to Question 93556 on Schools: Standards, tabled on 21 November 2025.
Answer: I can confirm that a response has been submitted to the hon. Member for South Basildon and East Thurrock to Question 93556.
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Business: LoansDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111074More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK lenders step up with £11 billion push to back British businesses, published on 26 January 2026, what assessment he has made of the level of
Answer: The lending commitment facility is not time limited. We have not made a formal assessment of how much of the lending commitment is expected to be drawn down in each financial year. The support that the participating banks can offer to businesses hoping to...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Business: LoansDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111073More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled ‘UK lenders step up with £11 billion push to back British businesses’ published on 26 January 2026, what steps he is taking to ensure businesses with
Answer: The lending commitment facility is not time limited. We have not made a formal assessment of how much of the lending commitment is expected to be drawn down in each financial year. The support that the participating banks can offer to businesses hoping to...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Business: LoansDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111072More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK lenders step up with £11 billion push to back British businesses, published on 26 January 2026, whether the £11 billion lending commitment r
Answer: The lending commitment facility is not time limited. We have not made a formal assessment of how much of the lending commitment is expected to be drawn down in each financial year. The support that the participating banks can offer to businesses hoping to...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Business: LoansDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111071More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK lenders step up with £11 billion push to back British businesses, published on 26 January 2026, how much of the £11 billion lending package
Answer: The lending commitment facility is not time limited. We have not made a formal assessment of how much of the lending commitment is expected to be drawn down in each financial year. The support that the participating banks can offer to businesses hoping to...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Business: LoansDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111070More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK lenders step up with £11 billion push to back British businesses, published on 26 January 2026, over what time period the £11 billion lendin
Answer: The lending commitment facility is not time limited. We have not made a formal assessment of how much of the lending commitment is expected to be drawn down in each financial year. The support that the participating banks can offer to businesses hoping to...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Renewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111069More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what lessons his Department has learnt from other countries that have reduced curtailment while expanding renewables.
Answer: We use evidence from comparable countries to support our decision making and policy thinking on curtailment. Constraint payments are a natural part of operating an electricity system and are used in many countries such as Italy, Spain, Germany and Denmark...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Renewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111068More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate his Department has made of the proportion of curtailment costs borne by domestic consumers.
Answer: Data relating to curtailment caused by constraints including costs is provided in the National Energy System Operator (NESO) Annual Balancing Report at this link: neso.energy/document/362561/download. Constraint costs, as with other interventions taken by...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Renewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111067More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the role of battery storage in reducing renewable curtailment.
Answer: Electricity storage has an important role to play in decarbonising the power sector by helping to balance the electricity system at lower cost. Electricity storage achieves this by charging when electricity is abundant and discharging when it is scarcer, ...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Renewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111066More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of whether curtailment payments create incentives to locate generation in areas with insufficient grid capacity.
Answer: The revenue that generators can make from curtailment payments is regulated by Ofgem through the Transmission Constraint Licence Condition. This regulation limits the revenue generators can make from being curtailed to the value of the revenue lost throug...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Renewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111065More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that the expansion of renewable generation does not lead to higher electricity bills for consumers.
Answer: At a systems level, the prize of a renewables-based system, supported by nuclear and other technologies, is clear: it gets us off the fossil fuel rollercoaster, reducing our exposure as a country. The role of gas generation is already changing in GB’s ele...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Clean EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111064More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of his Clean Power 2030 target with current grid capacity constraints.
Answer: The Clean Power Action Plan set out the actions needed to deliver the Clean Power target, including the generation assets required and the network projects needed to transport homegrown power to homes and business across the country. This was based on adv...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Renewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111063More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what measures are in place to limit curtailment costs during the period before new grid infrastructure becomes operational.
Answer: The Government, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) are pursuing measures which will reduce constraint costs in the short term. These include making best use of the existing network, deploying s...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Renewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111062More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the expected completion dates are for major new transmission projects intended to reduce renewable curtailment.
Answer: The Clean Power Advice to Government, published by the National Energy System Operator in 2024 set out the list of over 80 transmission projects needed to meet Clean Power 2030, and their required delivery dates. These projects will alleviate curtailment ...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Renewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111061More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how often gas-fired power stations were used to replace curtailed renewable generation in 2025.
Answer: The Department does not hold the requested information. It is owned by NESO and published on the Elexon data portal.
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Renewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111060More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of curtailment payments on average household energy bills in 2025.
Answer: This information can be found in the NESO Annual Balancing Report, the next of which will be published later this year. The most recent NESO Annual Balancing Report was published in June 2025, covering the 2024/25 financial year, and can be found via this...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Renewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111059More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of curtailment costs to electricity billpayers in 2026.
Answer: Data on the aggregate impact of curtailment payments to electricity billpayers is calculated by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and can be found in NESO Annual Balancing Report, the next of which will be published later this year. The most rece...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Horn of Africa: Undocumented MigrantsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110705More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Foreign Secretary sets out new cooperation on illegal migration from Horn of Africa on visit to Ethiopia, published
Answer: The Joint Development Agreement announced by the Foreign Secretary marks a major milestone in an investment project by a UK company. It will support the growth of Ethiopia's economy by building new electric transmission lines to support Ethiopia's growth,...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Local Government: ElectionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110704More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities will have discretion following the implementation of electoral boundary changes to determine whether elections are held by thirds, halves, or all-out el
Answer: The legislation governing councils’ power to choose its own scheme of elections is set out in Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. The legislation permits non-metropolitan district councils to choose to mo...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Lower Thames Crossing: ExcavationDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110703More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of soil excavated as part of the Lower Thames Crossing construction will be a) re-used on site, b) recycled or c) disposed of off-site.
Answer: The Lower Thames Crossing project aims to reuse between 90% and 95% of the soil it excavates on site. This material will be used to create new public parks, embankments and earth bunds, helping to screen the route from the local community. The remaining m...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Lower Thames Crossing: ExcavationDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110702More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the environmental impact of a) soil excavation and b) disposal generated by the Lower Thames Crossing.
Answer: On 25 March 2025, the Transport Secretary gave approval for the application from National Highways for a Development Consent Order for the Lower Thames Crossing. The Transport Secretary’s consideration of the application for the development including the ...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Trade Agreements: ChinaDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110701More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Prime Minister’s press release entitled ‘Prime Minister unlocks new opportunities for British businesses in China’ published on 29 January 2026, what steps are being taken to improve re
Answer: The UK-China Bilateral Services Partnership (BSP) Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Thursday 29 January between the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Peter Kyle, and the Minister for Commerce, Wang Wentao.The BSP represents a commitment b...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Trade Agreements: ChinaDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110700More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to Prime Minister’s press release entitled Prime Minister unlocks new opportunities for British businesses in China, published on 29 January 2026, if he will make it his policy to ensure
Answer: The UK and China have agreed to launch a Bilateral Services Partnership, developed in response to UK business' asks for clearer rules, better market access, and practical support to benefit from China's increasing demand for high-quality UK services. The ...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Trade Agreements: ChinaDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110699More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to Prime Minister’s press release entitled Prime Minister unlocks new opportunities for British businesses in China, published on 29 January 2026, when the joint feasibility study on a U
Answer: The joint feasibility study for a UK-China Trade in Services Agreement is an exploratory stage; it’s not a commitment to negotiate an agreement. The study is intended to identify areas of shared interest and assess the potential benefits and challenges in...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
Trade Agreements: ChinaDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110698More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to Prime Minister’s press release entitled Prime Minister unlocks new opportunities for British businesses in China, published on 29 January 2026, what assessment he has made of the pote
Answer: The UK‑China Bilateral Services Partnership (BSP) is designed to deliver high‑value benefits for UK businesses in the world’s second-largest services import market.UK services exports to China rose 81% in current prices between 2016 and 2024. However, in ...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record

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