James McMurdock MP: written questions 2024
224 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Refugees: LoansHome OfficeTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12827More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on refugee integration loans in each year since 2010.
Answer: Refugee Integration Loans were introduced in 2007 following a public consultation and have operated over the last seventeen years to support integration of genuine refugees, including into work.Details are available at Refugee integration loan: Overview -...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordIndia: Development AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12826More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the level of foreign aid for India.
Answer: Most of the FCDO's bilateral development funding for India is targeted at helping tackle climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This is primarily done through development investments in partnership with the Indian Government. We a...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordArmy: PayMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12825More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of undertaking a pay review for all military personnel.
Answer: The Armed Forces are served by two independent pay review bodies, the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body, and the Senior Salaries Review Body, who provide recommendations annually on remuneration for all Service personnel. The Secretary of State for Defence se...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12824More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on reducing waiting lists for planned care in Essex.
Answer: Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission. We will deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments, equivalent to 40,000 per week, in our first year, as part of our commitment to ensuring patients can expect to be treated...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: EssexDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12823More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve mental health services in Essex.
Answer: People with mental health issues in Essex are not getting the support or care they deserve, which is why we will fix the system to ensure that mental health is given the same attention and focus as physical health, so that people can be confident in acces...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordShoplifting: EssexHome OfficeTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12822More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce shoplifting in Essex.
Answer: Shop theft rose to record levels under the previous government , with shopworkers facing unacceptable violence and abuse in the process. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe on the job.This Government will end the effective impun...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSchools: KnivesDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12821More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on tackling knife crime in schools.
Answer: Keeping children safe is a top priority for this government. The department works closely with the Home Office to deliver better and safer outcomes for young people through the Opportunity and Safer Streets Missions. For example, the department is working...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordTelevision Licences: Non-paymentMinistry of JusticeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12637More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were prosecuted for TV licence evasion in England in (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions for a wide range of offences, including TV licence evasion up to and including 2023 in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12636More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to increase value for money in procurement.
Answer: Through the Strategic Defence Review we will reform our approach to procurement to deliver defence capabilities at greater pace, leverage rapidly changing technology, and take a One Defence approach to our requirements to secure the best possible value fo...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordChildren in Care: Young OffendersDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12635More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department has taken to provide rehabilitation support to children who have lived in care who are (a) in police custody and (b) serving custodial sentences.
Answer: The latest data for the year ending March 2023 shows that 2% of children in care aged 10 to 17 were convicted or subject to youth cautions or youth conditional cautions during the year, down from 3% in 2019. This compares to 1% of all children aged 10 to ...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordFreeports: Economic SituationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12634More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of freeports on the economy.
Answer: As part of the monitoring and evaluation of the Freeports programme, MHCLG commissioned an initial analysis of the expected economic impact of Freeports based on the Full Business Cases submitted by Freeports and approved by the UK Government.The analysis...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Migrants: English ChannelHome OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12633More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who arrived in the UK by small boats are (a) male and (b) female.
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 recordOffenders: Foreign NationalsHome OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12632More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign national offenders of which nationality were deported in each of the last five years.
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 recordTelevision Licences: Low IncomesDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12631More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the affordability of the BBC licence fee for people on lower incomes; and if she will make an assessment of the potential steps she can take to increase the
Answer: The Government remains committed to the licence fee for the remainder of the current Charter period.As part of the next Charter Review, the government will engage with the BBC and others to consider how to ensure the BBC thrives well into the next decade ...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordBBC: FinanceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12630More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an alternative funding scheme to the BBC licence fee.
Answer: The Government remains committed to the licence fee for the remainder of the current Charter period.As part of the next Charter Review, the government will engage with the BBC and others to consider how to ensure the BBC thrives well into the next decade ...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12629More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the Overseas Development Assistance budget was spent on accommodating asylum seekers in the UK in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answer: I refer the Hon Gentleman to the FCDO’s publication of final UK Overseas Development Assistance for 2023, published in September 2024, and available at the following link:Statistics on International Development: final UK ODA spend 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.u...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUniversities: ChinaDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12628More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for national security of the proportion of funding for universities from China.
Answer: The United Kingdom welcomes international partnerships and students, including from China, who make a very positive impact on the UK’s higher education (HE) sector, our economy and society as a whole. However, we will always protect our national security ...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordIron and Steel: EnergyDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12627More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make a comparative assessment of energy prices for steel production in (a) the UK, (b) China, (c) Germany and (d) the US.
Answer: The Government recognises that this continues to be a worrying time for the steel sector facing pressures due to global energy prices. We are committed to minimising energy costs for steel, and all energy intensive industries, to help ensure they remain s...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordChina: Development AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12626More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much aid his Department has provided to China in the last five years.
Answer: Between 2019 and 2023, total Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend to China was £206.2 million, including on Chevening scholarships and British Council activity. In April 2021, the FCDO committed to cut ODA funded programmes in China by 95 per cent ...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordVisas: Overseas StudentsHome OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12625More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that student visas are not used solely to gain residence in the UK.
Answer: To obtain permission on the Student route prospective Students must demonstrate that they have a sufficient level of English, funds to maintain themselves, relevant qualifications, a genuine intention to study and be sponsored by a licensed college or uni...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: ExportsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12624More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support food producers from (a) Essex and (b) the UK to increase exports.
Answer: DBT’s offer of export support for Food & Drink businesses in Essex and the whole of the UK includes: educational support via our Export Academy, 1-2-1 support from International Trade Advisors and our extensive overseas network, with trade advisors pr...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Migrants: BoatsHome OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12623More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help prevent the provision of large dinghies to people smuggling gangs.
Answer: We are taking a whole-of-system approach to disrupt and dismantle the people smugglers’ business model. This includes working with international partners upstream to intercept material used by these criminal gangs, including dinghies and engines.On Monday...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordOffenders: Foreign NationalsHome OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12622More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of attempted deportations of foreign national offenders by her Department have been successfully challenged on Article 8 ECHR grounds in each of the last ten years.
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 recordPalliative Care: South Basildon and East ThurrockDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11818More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve palliative and end of life care in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.
Answer: Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB), including Mid and South Essex ICB, which covers the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, must commission. This promotes a more consistent national appr...
Answered 8 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUnemployment: EssexDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11814More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the unemployment rate in Essex.
Answer: Both Basildon and Grays Jobcentres serve the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency. Both Jobcentres collaborate with employers and providers to resolve recruitment needs, focusing on overcoming common barriers. Solutions include tailored Sector Ba...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament record
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