James McMurdock MP: written questions 2024
224 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Fast 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 recordSpecial Educational NeedsDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12833More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to allocate new (a) funding and (b) resources to support children with special educational needs and disabilities in schools.
Answer: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The department is ...
Answered 13 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordBus Services: EssexDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12832More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support bus services in Essex.
Answer: Improving local bus services is a key part of this government’s growth mission. As announced in the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024, the government will introduce a Buses Bill later this session. This will put the power over local bus services back in the h...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: EssexDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12831More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of GPs in Essex.
Answer: We have committed to training thousands more general practitioners (GPs) across the country, including in Essex, which will increase capacity and take pressure off those currently working in the system. NHS England is working to address training bottlenec...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordRoads: EssexDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12830More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of fatalities on roads in Essex.
Answer: This Government takes road safety very seriously and reducing those killed and injured on our roads is a key priority. The Department is currently considering policy options in this area. Local authorities are responsible for the management of local roads...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordOffenders: Foreign NationalsHome OfficeTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12829More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of foreign national offenders have successfully appealed a deportation order under Article (a) 3, (b) 6 and (c) 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, in each year
Answer: The Home Office publishes data on returns of foreign national offenders (FNOs) in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly release’. Data on total returns of FNOs by nationality can be found in table Ret_D03 of the ‘returns detailed datasets’, with th...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Migrants: EssexHome OfficeTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12828More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of irregular migrants were (a) in Essex and (b) housed in hotels in Essex in the last 12 months; and how many of those have been removed since October 2023.
Answer: Data on asylum applications, the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and returns is published at: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)
Answered 15 Nov 2024
Original Parliament record
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