Written questions by McMurdock.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) continuing existing government grants for the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and (b) uplifting such grants by inflation.

On 3 February 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26 which sets out grant allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue.The Home Office will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

What steps she is taking to provide funding for infrastructure for fire and rescue services to help mitigate risks in relation to contaminants.

On 3 February 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26 which sets out grant allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue.The Home Office will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

Whether her Department has plans to increase funding to the IMF.

The UK’s core contribution to the IMF is determined by the UK’s share of the IMF’s quota resources as well as our contributions to the Fund under the New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB) and Bilateral Borrowing Agreements (BBA). The UK’s total IMF contribution is 46,103.26m SDR (approximately £48.55 billion.) There are no current proposals at the IMF that will require the UK to further increase our funding.

What steps he is taking to help improve the sustainability of battery storage technology used at the Coryton Energy Park.

Planning applications for battery storage are determined by the local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act regime. The operation of this regime and the decisions made under it are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

Whether there was a public consultation period prior to the construction of the Coryton Energy Park.

Planning applications for battery storage are determined by the local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act regime. The operation of this regime and the decisions made under it are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

Whether he has plans to (a) increase awareness of fire risks for residents living near to Coryton Energy Park and (b) provide information to residents about what they can do to stay safe in the event of a fire.

Planning applications for battery storage are determined by the local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act regime. The operation of this regime and the decisions made under it are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has plans to increase funding to the World Health Organisation.

In November 2024, the UK announced new funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in support of its delivery and transformation agenda. The UK will continue to work with the WHO, Member States and other partners to support WHO's ongoing transformation and to strengthen its efficiency, transparency and responsiveness.

Whether his Department has plans to increase funding to the World Trade Organisation.

The UK’s funding to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is, as for all members, determined by the WTO itself, as agreed to by the UK under the conditions of membership in Article VII of the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the WTO, which entered into force on 1 January 1995. The membership fees are calculated by use of an established formula based on each Member’s share of international trade (based on trade in goods, services and intellectual property rights for the last five years for which data is available).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to increase funding to the (a) United Nations and (b) its agencies.

The UK is a steadfast supporter of the UN. The UK's level of funding to the UN Regular Budget is dictated by the UN's Scales of Assessment process and is based on GDP and population size. For 2025, the UK's obligatory share of the Regular Budget is 3.991% of the total UN Regular Budget. UK voluntary funding to the UN is determined on a case-by-case basis. All future UK funding to UN agencies is subject to the current Spending Review process.

What estimate he has made of the total construction costs of the Coryton Energy Park.

Planning applications for battery storage are determined by the local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act regime. The operation of this regime and the decisions made under it are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

Whether an impact assessment has been conducted on the fire risk for residents living near Coryton Energy Park.

Planning applications for battery storage are determined by the local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act regime. The operation of this regime and the decisions made under it are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has plans to increase funding to UNRWA.

Since the Foreign Secretary restored funding to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in July 2024, the UK has committed £41 million this financial year to UNRWA, to deliver essential services for civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, and to Palestinian refugees across the region. The UK remains opposed to anti-UNRWA Knesset legislation which came into force on 30 January, and unequivocally rejects attempts to undermine or degrade UNRWA. UNRWA plays a vital role in delivering humanitarian assistance in Gaza and enabling the broader international response through its logistics and distribution network. We reiterated this position in our E3 joint Foreign Ministers' statement of 31 January, alongside France and Germany. As with all Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend, any new allocations provided to delivery partners (including UNRWA) are announced in the usual way.

What steps he plans to take to help reduce fire risk at Coryton Energy Park.

Planning applications for battery storage are determined by the local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act regime. The operation of this regime and the decisions made under it are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

What engagement he has had with local communities on the construction of the Coryton Energy Park.

Planning applications for battery storage are determined by the local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act regime. The operation of this regime and the decisions made under it are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

Whether his Department has plans to increase funding to the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) budget is negotiated by parties on a biennium basis. The 2024-2025 budget was agreed in 2023, and this year parties will negotiate the budget for 2026-2027. The UK has historically advocated for a core budget that is in line with the needs of the UNFCCC and reflects the increase in mandates from the parties. This position was reflected in the UK's 2024 contributions, and the recently delivered 2025 core and supplementary budget contributions. The Government is assessing our position for the upcoming biennium negotiations alongside our broader negotiating objectives.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has plans to increase funding to the Asian Development Bank.

The UK has committed £120 million to the Asian Development Bank's Asian Development Fund thirteenth replenishment (ADF-14) over the four years 2025 to 2028. We have no plans to increase this commitment or to provide additional core funding to the Bank over this period. We are working through a Multi-Period Spending Review where all trade-offs in spend will be considered and subject to final Foreign Secretary approval.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has plans to increase funding to the OECD.

All 38 Member countries contribute to funding the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Part I budget based on a proportion that is shared equally among member countries and a scale that is proportional to the relative size of their economies. The Part I budget for 2024 was EUR 229.9 million. The OECD biennial Part I budget negotiation for 2025/26 concluded in December 2024. Members collectively agreed to an overall Part I budget of EUR 235 million in 2025 and EUR 238 million in 2026, representing no increase to the OECD's budget in real terms. During the discussions, the UK worked with other members to agree to measurable efficiencies and savings linked to long term organisational reform and transparency to ensure that the organisation delivers value for money for members.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has plans to increase funding to the World Bank.

The UK pledged £1.98 billion to the 21st replenishment (IDA21) of the International Development Association (IDA) which works with the poorest countries globally, in late-November 2024. IDA21 runs between July 2025 and ends by June 2028. IDA's three-year replenishment cycle means donors are next scheduled to pledge in 2027. In April 2024, the UK also announced a contribution of £100 million in Hybrid Capital to the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), an arm that provides development finance to middle income countries. The UK remains supportive of proposals for a future IBRD general capital increase as part of wider efforts to meet the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with the BBC on (a) the introduction of advertising, (b) the creation of a specific tax for streaming services, (c) making BBC Radio listeners pay for the service and (d) other options for future funding.

The Government remains committed to the licence fee for the remainder of the current Charter period.Ministers and officials in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have regular discussions with the BBC on a range of important issues including BBC Charter Review and funding. There are a range of ways the BBC could be funded and we are thinking creatively about options for the future, to ensure we future-proof our national broadcaster for many years to come. Funding the BBC through general taxation is not being considered.

What plans she has to reduce retail crime.

Shop theft soared to unacceptable levels under the previous government, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.The Government is committed to tackling retail crime. We will end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods of £200 and under. This will remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment.We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.As set out in the Autumn budget 2024, we will provide over £7 million over the next three financial years to help support police in tackling retail crime.I am committed to chairing the newly established Retail Crime Forum to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.