James McMurdock MP: written questions
830 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Retail Trade: CrimeHome OfficeTabled 11 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37503More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of recent trends in the level of retail crime in Essex.
Answer: Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this.This Government is committed to effectively tackling retail crime. In the Crime and Policing B...
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Crimes of ViolenceHome OfficeTabled 11 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37502More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make a comparative assessment of recent trends in the level of retail worker assaults reported in (a) the East of England and (b) other regions of England in the last 12 months.
Answer: Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this.This Government is committed to effectively tackling retail crime. In the Crime and Policing B...
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCrime: Retail TradeHome OfficeTabled 11 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37501More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions has she had with police forces on preventing reoffenders from committing retail crimes.
Answer: Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this.This Government is committed to effectively tackling retail crime. In the Crime and Policing B...
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: Employers' ContributionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37071More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of National Insurance contribution increases on (a) council budgets and (b) the financial sustainability of council spending.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 33203 and Question UIN 33258 on 3 March 2025.The government is committed to pursuing a comprehensive set of reforms for public services to return the local government sector to a sustainable pos...
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: Cost EffectivenessMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37070More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure council spending is (a) efficient and (b) value for money for taxpayers.
Answer: Local authorities are independent of central government. Councils are responsible for managing their own financial positions and services, including ensuring that their spending is efficient and delivers value for money for taxpayers; the department is no...
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37069More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of local government reorganisation on council finances in the context of existing financial pressures.
Answer: The English Devolution White Paper set out that Government will facilitate a programme of local government reorganisation. This can help strengthen local leadership, improve local services, save taxpayers’ money, and improve local accountability. In 2020 ...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: InsolvencyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37068More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Local Government Information Unit's report entitled 2025 State of Local Government Finance in England, published in March 2025, what assessment she has made
Answer: We have delivered a Settlement that has begun to fix the foundations of local government by providing significant investment and redirecting funding towards the services and places that need it most. The Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 bil...
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncil TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37056More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with councils increasing council tax on the potential impact of those increases on residents.
Answer: Local authorities are responsible for deciding the level of council tax. The government held a consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement, providing opportunity for the public and local authorities to share views on the proposed r...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: ThurrockMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37054More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with Thurrock Council on council tax rises.
Answer: Local authorities are responsible for deciding the level of council tax. The government held a consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement, providing opportunity for the public and local authorities to share views on the proposed r...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ThurrockMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37053More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Leader of Essex County Council and (b) the Leader of Thurrock council on the potential of Thurrock becoming a London Borough.
Answer: The Deputy Prime Minister has not had any meetings with either the Leader of Essex County Council or the Leader of Thurrock Council on the potential of Thurrock becoming a London Borough.
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCountryside: AccessDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36349More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the amount of countryside available to roam.
Answer: Our countryside and green spaces are a source of great national pride and which boost public health and wellbeing, but too many across the country are left without access to the great outdoors. That is why the last Labour Government expanded public access...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMentally Disordered Offenders: Crimes of ViolenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36348More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 33841 on Mentally Disordered Offenders: Crimes of Violence, what (a) practical and (b) legal issues there are with linking medical records with ju
Answer: Effectively and securely linking health and non-health data is critical to delivering the Government’s health and wider missions.Health and justice data can be linked in specific circumstances; the National Health Service already shares some data with the...
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: EssexHome OfficeTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36347More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on housing asylum seekers in (a) Essex and (b) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency since 2022.
Answer: Information on asylum expenditure is published on gov.uk in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts.
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: Home EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36346More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the removal of the automatic right to home educate under the Children and Wellbeing Bill on parents home schooling their children.
Answer: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Ministerial team try to meet with stakeholders regularly, including in relation to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. It is important that the department engages and listens to the...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCarers: Bereavement CounsellingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36345More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve bereavement support for carers.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. Bereavement support is commissioned locally, to meet the needs of the local population. NHS England has developed guidance for integrated care boards which requires com...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPalliative Care: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36344More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to invest in integrated models of palliative care.
Answer: Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in ...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: Home EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36343More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet with parents who home school their children to discuss the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Answer: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Ministerial team try to meet with stakeholders regularly, including in relation to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. It is important that the department engages and listens to the...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: Home EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36342More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations her Department has received from parents who home school their children about the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Answer: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Ministerial team try to meet with stakeholders regularly, including in relation to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. It is important that the department engages and listens to the...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPylons: ConstructionDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36341More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had recent discussions with the National Grid on the potential merits of establishing (a) financial compensation and (b) support for businesses impacted by pylon developments.
Answer: Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordElectricity: InfrastructureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36340More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether compensation schemes are available to businesses whose operations are impacted by the construction of (a) new electricity pylons and (b) electricity related infrastructure.
Answer: Landowners, businesses and homeowners that have electrical equipment, such as pylons or towers, sited on their land have the right to compensation for the value of their land, as well as for any losses or expenses incurred. Acquiring authorities can also ...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy SupplyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36339More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has considered alternative energy transmission methods.
Answer: The National Energy System Operator considers a range of different technologies when conducting strategic network planning to make the most optimal recommendations for electricity transmission infrastructure. It is the responsibility of the developers of ...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordInfrastructure: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36338More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to improve transparency in the pre-application process for nationally significant infrastructure projects.
Answer: Duties set out Chapter 2 to Part 5 of the Planning Act 2008 require applicants for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) to publicise their proposals and consult specific persons and bodies as part of the pre-application process before th...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDefibrillators: EssexDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36036More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of postcodes outside the recommended minimum distance from a defibrillator in (a) Essex, (b) the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.
Answer: To improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government has committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. ...
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: EssexDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36035More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support GPs in Essex to invest in (a) clinical equipment, (b) staff training and (c) uniforms, in the context of rises in operating costs.
Answer: We are investing an additional £889 million in the GP Contract to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing the total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade, and we are p...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36034More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to provide additional financial support to GP practices with increased costs to ensure they can maintain (a) staffing levels and (b) high-quality service provision.
Answer: We are investing an additional £889 million in the general practice contract to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. We...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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