James McMurdock MP: written questions
830 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Children: English LanguageDepartment for EducationTabled 14 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14415More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency do not have English as their first language.
Answer: A pupil is recorded to have English as an additional language if they are exposed to a language at home that is known or believed to be other than English. This measure is not a measure of English language proficiency nor a good proxy for recent immigrati...
Answered 22 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPrisoners' Release: RehabilitationMinistry of JusticeTabled 13 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14271More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of work to reintegrate prisoners released via the early release scheme.
Answer: The government inherited a prisons system in crisis and was forced to change the release point for standard determinate sentences in order to avert disaster and total gridlock of the criminal justice system.Once released, offenders are subject to the same...
Answered 22 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDevelopment Aid: Animal WelfareForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 13 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14260More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department uses animal welfare in recipient countries as a criteria for determining aid development policies.
Answer: The Prime Minister is resetting Britain's approach to climate and nature, putting it at the centre of the UK's missions. Action on the climate and nature crisis will be central to the FCDO's priorities. There is no pathway to countries' development aspira...
Answered 21 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordFoster Care and Kinship Care: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 13 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14259More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made a comparative assessment of financial support available to (a) kinship and (b) foster carers.
Answer: Statutory guidance issued to local authorities makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare.As local authorities know their carers best, they have the power...
Answered 22 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordNavyMinistry of DefenceTabled 13 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14258More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Royal Navy's escort fleet capabilities.
Answer: The Royal Navy’s escort fleet, comprising Type 23 Frigates and Type 45 Destroyers, is a credible force calibrated to meet individual and multinational Defence outputs effectively. These vessels remain poised to defend the Fleet against complex threats and...
Answered 22 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordMotor Insurance: FraudHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13704More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle cash-for-crash moped scams.
Answer: Cash-for-crash scams impact consumers by increasing the price of insurance premiums and putting innocent lives at risk.The government is committed to tackling this threat and has worked in collaboration with the UK insurance sector to publish an insurance...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordFast Food: Delivery ServicesHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13703More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with major food delivery companies on steps to tackle the employment of illegal workers.
Answer: The Home Office is determined to clamp down on illegal working, including in the gig economy. It is already a criminal offence to work illegally in the UK, and a person’s permission to stay can also be cancelled. The Home Office and the Department for Bus...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDelivery Services: Undocumented WorkersHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13702More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to stop illegal delivery drivers working for food delivery companies.
Answer: The Home Office is determined to clamp down on illegal working, including in the gig economy. It is already a criminal offence to work illegally in the UK, and a person’s permission to stay can also be cancelled. The Home Office and the Department for Bus...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDelivery Services: Undocumented WorkersHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13701More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the numbers of delivery drivers working illegally in the UK.
Answer: The Home Office is not able to make an estimate of the number of delivery drivers working illegally in the UK due to the difficulty in estimating the exact size of the irregular population. No government has produced any official estimates since 2005. As ...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: EssexTreasuryTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13138More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the impact of increasing employers' national insurance contributions on businesses in Essex.
Answer: Estimates of the impact on businesses in Essex from changes to Employer NICs announced at Autumn Budget 2024 are not available.
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordFarms: CostsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13137More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to support family-owned farms with rising business costs.
Answer: Defra’s farming budget will be £2.4 billion in 2025/26. This will include the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history: £1.8 billion for Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. This fu...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPylonsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13133More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will meet the hon. Member for South Basildon and East Thurrock to discuss pylons.
Answer: The design and development of electricity transmission infrastructure is the responsibility of developers. Government sets the rules for a robust and independent planning process that communities can participate in. Given the Secretary of State’s role in ...
Answered 15 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Migrants: English ChannelHome OfficeTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13128More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with her French counterpart on preventing small boats from crossing the Channel by intercepting them mid-journey.
Answer: The Home Secretary is in regular contact with her new French counterpart, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, to discuss ongoing cooperation to stop small boat crossings. They met for the first time on 3rd October at the G7 in Italy.
Answered 15 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordNHS: Drugs and Medical EquipmentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13127More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure value for money in (a) medicines and (b) medical supplies in the NHS.
Answer: Processes are in place to ensure that new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources before they are routinely funded by the National Health Service in England. New licensed medicines are evaluated by the National Institute for H...
Answered 13 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEducation: Digital TechnologyDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13125More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase digital learning opportunities across (a) schools and (b) colleges.
Answer: The department is taking action to increase digital learning opportunities in schools and colleges. To do this effectively requires ensuring that students have the right digital and computing skills.To help break down barriers to opportunity, this governm...
Answered 15 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordTrade Agreements: USADepartment for Business and TradeTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13123More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on a free trade agreement.
Answer: Ministers and officials regularly engage with their US counterparts to discuss ways to strengthen the UK-US trading relationship, already worth £304 billion. The Secretary of State met US Trade Representative Katherine Tai at the G20 Summit in October whe...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployment: Manufacturing IndustriesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13122More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to increase manufacturing jobs in (a) Essex and (b) nationally.
Answer: Essex has a vibrant manufacturing sector and Basildon is home to many key businesses including Ford, Leonardo and New Holland. The strength of the Essex economy means that it is home to two freeports including the Thames Freeport in the Right Honourable m...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordCommonwealth and Monarchy: EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13120More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to promote awareness of the (a) Commonwealth of Nations, (b) Monarchy and (c) Commonwealth realms in (i) schools in England.
Answer: The national curriculum for citizenship includes content on local, regional and international governance, as well as the UK’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world.Citizenship also covers the developme...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: South Basildon and East ThurrockDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12854More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for driving tests in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. Measures in place to reduce waiting times for customers at all driving test centres (...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: EmploymentDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12853More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the (a) adequacy of and (b) potential merits of undertaking a review of provider access legislation for students with SEND to assist them with acquiring employment.
Answer: The Provider Access Legislation places a duty on all schools to provide at least six opportunities for all their pupils to meet providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships during school years 8 to 13.The delivery of provide...
Answered 13 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordTeaching AidsDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12852More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure parents have access to the materials used to teach their children in (a) relationships, sex and health education, (b) religious education and (c) other lessons.
Answer: The department agrees that parents should be able to see what their children are taught, and that schools should be responsive to parents who request to see specific curriculum materials.Schools are required to share information concerning their curriculu...
Answered 13 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Migrants: English ChannelHome OfficeTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12851More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with her French counterpart on the potential merits of preventing small boats from crossing the Channel by intercepting them mid-journey.
Answer: The Home Secretary is in regular contact with her new French counterpart, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, to discuss ongoing cooperation to stop small boat crossings. They met for the first time on 3rd October at the G7 in Italy.
Answered 15 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Migrants: English ChannelHome OfficeTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12843More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse has been of housing asylum seekers who have arrived on small boats in (a) hotels and (b) other locations since January 2020.
Answer: The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and subsistence support whilst their application for asylum is being considered.Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation is published ...
Answered 15 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordVeterans: EssexMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12842More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people have (a) applied for and (b) received a Veterans' ID Card in (a) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency and (b) Essex.
Answer: From December 2018, all Service leavers are automatically issued a Veterans Card on discharge (Phase 1). For those who left service prior to then, applications must be submitted (Phase 2). The below table details the number of veterans cards issued as of ...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordVeterans: EssexMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12834More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support homeless military veterans in Essex.
Answer: This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. I am working across Government to ensure veterans throughout the UK have access to the support they need on housing, as well as health, employment and other areas. ...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament record
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