James McMurdock MP: written questions 2025
1340 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Police: BiometricsHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99000More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many convictions were secured as a result of utilising live facial recognition in the last 12 months.
Answer: The Home Office does not hold data on the number of convictions made following the police’s use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology. Where police forces are using live facial recognition technology, the number of arrests made following each deplo...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBiometricsHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98999More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent analysis her Department has conducted on the potential benefits of utilising live facial recognition systems.
Answer: The Home Office does not hold data on the number of convictions made following the police’s use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology. Where police forces are using live facial recognition technology, the number of arrests made following each deplo...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBiometricsHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98998More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to assess how live facial recognition systems are used in other countries and how those approaches may be used in the UK.
Answer: The Home Office routinely makes international comparisons in policy development work. As part of designing a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies, international comparisons will be consider...
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: BiometricsHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98997More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has issued guidance to police forces on issuing contracts for live facial recognition technology.
Answer: The Home Office has not issued guidance to police forces on issuing contracts for live facial recognition technology. However, the Live Facial Recognition Commercial Framework produced by BlueLight Commercial is available to support police forces making p...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBiometrics: Parliamentary ScrutinyHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98996More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to allow for Parliamentary scrutiny of proposals to expand the use of live facial recognition technology.
Answer: There is an established basis for the police to use live facial recognition technology. When deploying facial recognition technology, police forces must comply with existing legislation including the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, Data Protecti...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBiometricsHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98995More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to prevent the expansion of live facial recognition technology beyond counter-terrorism and serious crime into routine policing, retail monitoring, or crowd surveillance.
Answer: Live facial recognition technology, which involves processing live video footage of people passing a camera, is used in England and Wales to help locate people who are wanted by the police, in public spaces. The College of Policing has produced national g...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBiometricsHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98994More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were scanned by live facial recognition systems in (a) England and (b) Essex in the last 12 months; and what proportion of those people were not suspected of any crime.
Answer: The Home Office does not hold data on the number of people scanned following the police’s use of facial recognition technology.Where police forces are using live facial recognition technology (LFR), the number of arrests made following each deployment are...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBiometrics: StandardsHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98993More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of reported levels of misidentification of (a) women, (b) ethnic minorities, and (c) young people by live
Answer: Police use of live facial recognition (LFR) is governed by equality, human rights, and data protection laws, and can only be used for a policing purpose where necessary, proportionate, and fair. LFR technology is not automated decision-making; it suggests...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPolice: BiometricsHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98992More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Information Commissioner’s Office on live facial recognition technology and its utilisation by police forces.
Answer: The Home Office meets regularly with the Information Commissioner’s Office to discuss law enforcement use of facial recognition technology.We will continue to work closely with them as we consult on a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometr...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBiometrics: Civil LibertiesHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98991More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of live facial recognition surveillance on the rights to privacy, freedom of assembly, and freedom of expression.
Answer: Passport photographs are not being enrolled into biometric databases accessible for live facial recognition searches. However, His Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) may conduct retrospective facial recognition searches against the passport database, on beh...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBiometrics: StandardsHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98990More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to help prevent the misidentification of innocent individuals by live facial recognition systems.
Answer: Police use of live facial recognition (LFR) is governed by equality, human rights, and data protection laws, and can only be used for a policing purpose where necessary, proportionate, and fair. LFR technology is not automated decision-making; it suggests...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBiometrics: StandardsHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98989More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the rates of false positives generated by live facial recognition systems.
Answer: Police use of live facial recognition (LFR) is governed by equality, human rights, and data protection laws, and can only be used for a policing purpose where necessary, proportionate, and fair. LFR technology is not automated decision-making; it suggests...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPassports: PhotographsHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98988More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether passport photographs are being enrolled into biometric databases accessible for live facial recognition searches; and what assessment she has made of the privacy implications of this policy.
Answer: Passport photographs are not being enrolled into biometric databases accessible for live facial recognition searches. However, His Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) may conduct retrospective facial recognition searches against the passport database, on beh...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPolice: BiometricsHome OfficeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98987More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what statutory basis live facial recognition technology is deployed by police forces in England and Wales; and whether her Department plans to introduce primary legislation before any expansion of
Answer: There is an established basis for the police to use live facial recognition technology. When deploying facial recognition technology, police forces must comply with existing legislation including the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, Data Protecti...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: TestingDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98606More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to prioritise individual vehicle approval testing for vehicles commissioned for essential purposes, such as a) emergency healthcare or b) home-to-school education.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has no specific plans to prioritise vehicles commissioned for essential purposes, but should there be a specific need, DVSA would consider this in a similar way to actions taken during the pandemic. DVSA woul...
Answered 15 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: TestingDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98605More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to increase individual vehicle approval testing capacity.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has no specific plans to prioritise vehicles commissioned for essential purposes, but should there be a specific need, DVSA would consider this in a similar way to actions taken during the pandemic. DVSA woul...
Answered 15 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: TestingDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98604More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of closing test centres on businesses reliant on individual vehicle approval testing.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has no specific plans to prioritise vehicles commissioned for essential purposes, but should there be a specific need, DVSA would consider this in a similar way to actions taken during the pandemic. DVSA woul...
Answered 15 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: TestingDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98603More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate she has made of the number of DVSA employees eligible to conduct Individual Vehicle Approval tests by a) individual test centre and b) region.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has no specific plans to prioritise vehicles commissioned for essential purposes, but should there be a specific need, DVSA would consider this in a similar way to actions taken during the pandemic. DVSA woul...
Answered 15 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPrimary Education: Rural AreasDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98602More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding arrangements for village primary schools with low pupil numbers.
Answer: The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula (NFF) accounts for challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and ...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPrimary Education: Rural AreasDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98601More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support small village primary schools with low pupil numbers to remain financially stable.
Answer: The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula (NFF) accounts for challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and ...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Lavatories: DisabilityMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98600More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of levels of access to Changing Places toilets in public spaces on the a) dignity and b) wellbeing of people with complex disa
Answer: Government and Local Authority policies are made in accordance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.With this commitment to accessibility and inclusion in mind, through our £30.5 million Changing Places Toilet programme, we have supported the installation...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Lavatories: DisabilityMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98599More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to increase the number of Changing Places toilets; and what plans he has to set minimum provision requirements for large public venues.
Answer: Government and Local Authority policies are made in accordance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.With this commitment to accessibility and inclusion in mind, through our £30.5 million Changing Places Toilet programme, we have supported the installation...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Lavatories: DisabilityMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98598More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that local regeneration schemes comply with equality duty by providing adequate facilities for people with complex disabilities, such as Changin
Answer: Government and Local Authority policies are made in accordance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.With this commitment to accessibility and inclusion in mind, through our £30.5 million Changing Places Toilet programme, we have supported the installation...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Lavatories: DisabilityMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98597More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to issue guidance to local authorities to ensure that Changing Places toilets are included as standard in major town-centre redevelopments.
Answer: Government and Local Authority policies are made in accordance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.With this commitment to accessibility and inclusion in mind, through our £30.5 million Changing Places Toilet programme, we have supported the installation...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSurgical Mesh Implants: Mental HealthDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98596More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of unresolved mesh complications on the mental health of women impacted; and what support is available for those women.
Answer: There are nine specialist mesh centres in operation across England, ensuring that women in every region with complications of mesh inserted for urinary incontinence and vaginal prolapse get the right support. Each mesh centre is led by a multi-disciplinar...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
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