Every parliamentary written question tabled by James McMurdock this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 3,121–3,140 of 3,503 · this parliament
What plans her Department has to increase levels of funding for casualty reduction schemes.
There have been no discussions between the Department for Transport and Essex County Council on achieving its Vision Zero target by 2040. Decisions on funding will come at the conclusion of the current spending review.
If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the proportion of families who received state support in the 2022-23 financial year.
DWP publish information on households in receipt of Universal Credit and other benefits. Ministers consider all the relevant statistics when making policy decisions. The latest available data can be found on Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/). Figures on both the 2022 and 2023 financial year are available here. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: Getting Started (dwp.gov.uk). An account is not required to use Stat- Xplore, the ‘Guest Login’ feature gives instant access to the main functions.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which initiatives have been supported by the £216 million funding to Ethiopia through the Official Development Assistance Programme in 2024-25.
UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Ethiopia for 2024/25 was £216 million. Most of this allocation has been used to provide lifesaving humanitarian aid, focused on emergency health, nutrition, and social protection. This includes our Productive Safety Net Programme, supporting those in food-insecure households. We are also investing in education and health services, including a programme to prevent maternal, new-born and child deaths, as well as a programme that provides water and sanitation in drought affected areas. We have allocated UK ODA to promote peacebuilding including a sustainable peace process in Tigray, through disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration of combatants. We are also investing UK ODA towards economic reform, job creation and revenue raising through more effective taxation.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of the £236.75 million allocated to Ukraine in the Official Development Assistance Programme was designated for (a) humanitarian aid and (b) economic development projects in 2024-25.
The bilateral Ukraine portfolio totals £282 million in 2024/25 covering humanitarian, stabilisation, energy, recover and reform programmes. The majority of this is through Official Development Assistance. This includes £122 million in humanitarian assistance which is delivered through key partners such as UNICEF, UNHCR and Mercy Corps.Our economic recovery programmes total £25.5 million for this year. These programmes will unlock hundreds of millions of pounds of private lending to bolster the growth and economic resilience in Ukraine. These programmes cover aspects from support to small business, to war risk insurance and infrastructure capacity building, working with key partners such as the International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.The remainder of this year's allocation will be used to support energy, social recovery, and governance reform programmes.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Devolution Priority Programme on levels of (a) voter engagement and (b) democratic participation in future elections.
On 5 February, the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed that the Government will be taking Greater Essex (Essex County Council, Thurrock Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council) forward on the Devolution Priority Programme. The government also agreed that, for Essex County Council and Thurrock Council, postponing local elections from May 2025 to May 2026 is essential for the delivery of the Devolution Priority Programme and complementary local government reorganisation ahead of Mayoral elections.The Government has also set out in its manifesto several commitments to increase participation in democracy, including introducing votes at 16 for all elections, improving registration, reviewing and amending the voter ID rules, and strengthening the political finance framework.A Government consultation entitled “Strengthening the Standards and Conduct Framework for Local Authorities in England” is currently seeking views on proposed measures to strengthen the standards framework, including the introduction of the sanction of suspension. The proposed reforms aim to deliver greater accountability and public confidence that local authorities will uphold the highest standards of conduct.
Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that local councils remain accountable to residents under the Devolution Priority Programme.
On 5 February, the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed that the Government will be taking Greater Essex (Essex County Council, Thurrock Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council) forward on the Devolution Priority Programme. The government also agreed that, for Essex County Council and Thurrock Council, postponing local elections from May 2025 to May 2026 is essential for the delivery of the Devolution Priority Programme and complementary local government reorganisation ahead of Mayoral elections.The Government has also set out in its manifesto several commitments to increase participation in democracy, including introducing votes at 16 for all elections, improving registration, reviewing and amending the voter ID rules, and strengthening the political finance framework.A Government consultation entitled “Strengthening the Standards and Conduct Framework for Local Authorities in England” is currently seeking views on proposed measures to strengthen the standards framework, including the introduction of the sanction of suspension. The proposed reforms aim to deliver greater accountability and public confidence that local authorities will uphold the highest standards of conduct.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the system of elected mayors in managing of local issues across large geographical areas.
Mayors have become vital local leaders, delivering on the promise of change in their area to drive growth, more joined-up delivery, and earning trust. We want to see all of England benefit from devolution and it is the government’s strong preference that in filling the map, places do so with a Mayor over a strategic geography.To deliver devolution successfully, it is vital that we build evidence of how best to implement our policies over time. In the English Devolution White Paper, we committed to exploring a public evaluation on the outcomes of devolution to date, a feasibility study on the impact of different devolution commitments and ongoing process and impact evaluation to capture evidence on devolution as it becomes available.
What steps she is taking to improve education in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools on media literacy to increase awareness amongst young people of social media harms.
Media literacy can help tackle a wide variety of online safety issues for all internet users, including children.Media literacy is currently taught through the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-citizenship-programmes-of-study. Citizenship teaches about critical media literacy in relation to the proper functioning of a democracy, distinguishing fact from opinion as well as exploring freedom of speech and the role and responsibility of the media in informing and shaping public opinion. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship, using non-statutory programmes of study at key stages 1 and 2. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/citizenship-programmes-of-study-for-key-stages-1-and-2.As part of the statutory guidance for relationships and health education (RHE) in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. The RSHE guidance for primary is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary. The RSHE guidance for secondary can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary. This includes being taught about the implications of sharing private or personal data, including images, online, harmful content, cyberbullying, and over-reliance on social media.The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. As part of this process, the department will explore whether additional content is required, including content regarding online safety and harm.Teaching about online safety also complements the computing curriculum, which ensures pupils are taught how to use digital technologies safely, responsibly, respectfully and securely, from key stage 1 to key stage 4, with progression in the content to reflect the different and escalating risks that pupils face. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review will consider the key digital skills needed for future life and critical thinking skills to ensure children are resilient to misinformation and extremist content online. The review group will publish an interim report in early spring setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work, and publish its final report with recommendations this autumn.The Online Safety Act updated Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy and to raise the public’s awareness of the nature and impact of harmful content and online behaviour. Ofcom conducts research to assess media literacy skills and experiences, including potential harms, through various trackers such as the Children and Parents' Media Literacy Tracker and the Online Experiences Tracker, which includes focus on children’s media use, attitudes, and understanding.Since 2022, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology has provided nearly £3 million in funding for media literacy projects. In 2024, this included £0.5 million to scale up two programmes, to provide media literacy support to teachers, children aged 11-16, parents/carers and other professionals working with families.
Whether she plans to commission research on the potential correlation between trends in children's media literacy levels and their susceptibility to social media harms.
Media literacy can help tackle a wide variety of online safety issues for all internet users, including children.Media literacy is currently taught through the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-citizenship-programmes-of-study. Citizenship teaches about critical media literacy in relation to the proper functioning of a democracy, distinguishing fact from opinion as well as exploring freedom of speech and the role and responsibility of the media in informing and shaping public opinion. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship, using non-statutory programmes of study at key stages 1 and 2. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/citizenship-programmes-of-study-for-key-stages-1-and-2.As part of the statutory guidance for relationships and health education (RHE) in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. The RSHE guidance for primary is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary. The RSHE guidance for secondary can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary. This includes being taught about the implications of sharing private or personal data, including images, online, harmful content, cyberbullying, and over-reliance on social media.The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. As part of this process, the department will explore whether additional content is required, including content regarding online safety and harm.Teaching about online safety also complements the computing curriculum, which ensures pupils are taught how to use digital technologies safely, responsibly, respectfully and securely, from key stage 1 to key stage 4, with progression in the content to reflect the different and escalating risks that pupils face. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review will consider the key digital skills needed for future life and critical thinking skills to ensure children are resilient to misinformation and extremist content online. The review group will publish an interim report in early spring setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work, and publish its final report with recommendations this autumn.The Online Safety Act updated Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy and to raise the public’s awareness of the nature and impact of harmful content and online behaviour. Ofcom conducts research to assess media literacy skills and experiences, including potential harms, through various trackers such as the Children and Parents' Media Literacy Tracker and the Online Experiences Tracker, which includes focus on children’s media use, attitudes, and understanding.Since 2022, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology has provided nearly £3 million in funding for media literacy projects. In 2024, this included £0.5 million to scale up two programmes, to provide media literacy support to teachers, children aged 11-16, parents/carers and other professionals working with families.
What the average time was between application to the Employment Tribunal and hearing in each of the last three years.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service does not hold the requested information.
Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the services provided to irregular migrants by (a) Thurrock Council and (b) Basildon Council in the last two years.
For Thurrock, the final Settlement represents an increase in Core Spending Power of up to 6.9% - making available a total of up to £178.2 million in 2025-26. For Basildon, Core Spending Power is increasing by up to 1.5%, making available a total of up to £27.9 million in 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced, recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.
Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with Thurrock Council on the services it provides for asylum seekers.
For Thurrock, the final Settlement represents an increase in Core Spending Power of up to 6.9% - making available a total of up to £178.2 million in 2025-26. For Basildon, Core Spending Power is increasing by up to 1.5%, making available a total of up to £27.9 million in 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced, recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.
What estimate she has made of the number of hotels required as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers in England on 31 December 2025.
This Government remains resolute in its commitment to reduce the costs of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of asylum hotels over time, through a number of actions including restarting the processing of asylum claims, establishing the new Border Security Command, and prioritising the acquisition of more sustainable dispersal accommodation.The Home Office keeps the asylum accommodation estate under constant review, but demand for asylum accommodation is volatile. This means the Home Office often has to work at pace to ensure compliance with its statutory duty to accommodate asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of care available for people with paranoid schizophrenia.
NHS England has made significant progress in expanding community-based services for people with severe mental illness, including paranoid schizophrenia.In the last 12 months more than 400,000 adults have received help through new models, which aim to give people with serious mental illness better care.NHS England is also piloting new models of care in the community for those with the most serious illnesses. New mental health centres open in six neighbourhood areas from this spring and will provide people and their families with 24/7 support if they are in crisis without needing to book an appointment, as well as providing housing or employment advice to support them to stay well.Furthermore, the Mental Health Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983.Finally, in response to the Care Quality Commission’s review of the care and treatment provided to Valdo Calocane and of services provided by the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England set out clear, evidence-based national guidance, so providers are clear on the standards of care expected for patients who may be at risk of disengaging from services.
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the patient detention provisions in the Mental Health Act 1983.
The Mental Health Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. It will give patients greater choice, autonomy, enhanced rights and support, and will ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout treatment. It is important to get the balance right to ensure that people get the support and treatment they need, when necessary, for their own protection, or for that of others.The bill will make the Mental Health Act fit for the modern world, redressing the balance of power from the system to the patient, and ensuring that people with the most severe mental health conditions get better, more personalised, care.
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of monitoring measures used to prevent people with (a) mental illness and (b) a history of violence and aggression from committing violent crimes.
In response to the Care Quality Commission’s review of the care and treatment provided to Valdo Calocane and of the services provided by the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England asked every provider of mental health services to review the care received by people with serious mental illness who require intensive community treatment and follow-up where engagement is a challenge. This highlighted areas of good practice and opportunities to strengthen services and integrated care boards have developed action plans to address any gaps in service provision. To ensure these action plans deliver lasting change they will be assured of progress in July 2025 and January 2026. NHS England also set out clear, evidence-based national guidance, so providers are clear on the standards of care expected for this patient group. Following the publication of the independent investigation into the care and treatment provided to Valdo Calocane on 5 February, the National Director for Mental Health has written to all mental health trusts in England to ask them to review the investigation’s findings and develop action plans, building on the work so far, to address the issues identified for patients who require intensive and assertive community treatment by 30 June 2025. NHS England and the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have accepted all of the recommendations in the reports and are responsible for taking forward those recommendations. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has asked NHS England to provide regular updates on its work in response to the recommendations.
What the average cost is of accommodating asylum seekers by Essex local authority.
This Government remains resolute in its commitment to reduce the costs of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of asylum hotels over time, through a number of actions including restarting the processing of asylum claims, establishing the new Border Security Command, and prioritising the acquisition of more sustainable dispersal accommodation.The Home Office keeps the asylum accommodation estate under constant review, but demand for asylum accommodation is volatile. This means the Home Office often has to work at pace to ensure compliance with its statutory duty to accommodate asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.
What steps he is taking to assist Basildon Hospital in improving their maternity services.
The Basildon Hospital entered the NHS England Maternity Safety Support Programme (MSSP) in October 2020 due to safety concerns identified in a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection which rated it ‘Inadequate’. Its latest CQC report in March 2024 rated the maternity services as ‘Requiring Improvement’ for safety, effectiveness, and leadership, and responsiveness was rated as ‘Good’.To assist Basildon Hospital to improve their maternity services, the MSSP has increased support by adding a second Maternity Improvement Advisor to oversee all three maternity sites at the trust. Key improvements include midwifery vacancies being at their lowest in three years at less than 1%, ensuring staff complete training and regular audits being conducted to monitor service quality. The latest CQC report also acknowledged progress, particularly in patient involvement and efforts to reduce care disparities. The integrated care board will continue to support the trust to enhance safety, care quality, and patient experience. The Regional Maternity Team and Local Maternity and Neonatal System continue to work closely with Basildon Maternity Unit on its journey of improvement.
Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to strengthen age verification methods on social media platforms to protect children from having access to harmful content.
The government is committing to doing what is necessary to protect children online. The Online Safety Act requires in-scope services to use highly effective age assurance to prevent children from encountering specific types of harmful content. On 16 January Ofcom published its finalised guidance on how they expect services to introduce highly effective age assurance to meet this duty.We expect Ofcom’s finalised Children’s Safety Codes to be laid before parliament in April 2025 and following the parliamentary process the child safety duties should be in effect by summer 2025Ofcom are required to produce and publish a report on in-scope services’ use of age assurance solutions within eighteen months of these duties coming into force.
What proportion of violent offenders had (a) paranoid schizophrenia and (b) other mental health illnesses when convicted in each of the last five years.
The information requested is not held centrally.