Written questions by McMurdock.

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.

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.

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.

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)

What steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for driving tests in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

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 (DTC), include the recruitment of new driving examiners (DE), conducting tests outside regular hours, including at weekends and on public holidays, and buying back annual leave from DEs. DVSA also continues to deploy DEs from areas with lower waiting times into those where waiting times are longer. As part of recent recruitment at DTCs that serve the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, DVSA has made offers to five potential new DEs. This is made up of two DEs at Basildon DTC and three at Southend DTC. As part of ongoing recruitment, DVSA is aiming to fill a further three vacancies at Tilbury DTC, three at Basildon DTC and one at Southend DTC.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of fatalities on roads in Essex.

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, within the rules set by Government, including setting local speed limits where the national limit would not be appropriate. The Safer Roads Fund is an innovative, non-competitive programme that provides funding for the most high risk ‘A’ roads in England. Essex County Council received funding of £4.96m as part of the Safer Roads Fund for the A113 and A104.

What progress his Department has made on reducing waiting lists for planned care in Essex.

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 within 18 weeks across the whole country, including in Essex.There are three integrated care boards (ICBs) that border Essex: Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB, Mid and South Essex ICB and Suffolk and North East Essex ICB. The total Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting List across these ICBs has decreased by 44,786 or 7.9% between 31 August 2023 and 31 August 2024.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve mental health services in Essex.

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 accessing high quality mental health support when they need it. We will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers nationally to reduce delays and provide faster treatment which will also help ease pressure on hospitals, as well as introduce specialist mental health professionals in every school and roll out “Young Futures hubs” in every community. By cutting mental health waiting lists and intervening earlier with more timely mental health support, we can get this country back to good health.In addition, people of all ages who are in crisis or who are concerned about a family or loved one can now call 111, select the mental health option, and speak to a trained mental health professional. National Health Service staff can guide callers with next steps such as organising face-to-face community support or facilitating access to alternative services, like crisis cafés or safe havens, which provide a place for people to stay as an alternative to accident and emergency or a hospital admission.

What steps she is taking to reduce shoplifting in Essex.

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 impunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods under £200 and we will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

How much her Department spent on refugee integration loans in each year since 2010.

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 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

What steps she is taking to support bus services in Essex.

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 hands of local leaders right across England, including in Essex, to ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them. The Bill will seek to increase the powers available to local leaders to choose the model that works best in their area, whether that be franchising, high-quality partnerships with private operators or local authority ownership. In addition, the government has confirmed an additional £925 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London which is in addition to the introduction of a new National Bus Fare Cap at £3 from January 2025, bringing total bus investment at the Budget to over £1 billion. Local authorities can use the £925 million to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. The government will continue working closely with local transport authorities including Essex County Council, and others, to deliver better bus services throughout England.

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on tackling knife crime in schools.

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 cross-government to deliver on the government’s manifesto commitments on the Young Futures Programme, to establish Prevention Partnerships and Young Futures Hubs.Education plays a key role in ensuring children can lead safe and fulfilling lives, and it provides opportunities to educate young people on dangerous behaviour and provide preventative support to those most vulnerable.Relationships, sex and health education includes content on the situations that can lead young people to carry weapons such as knives, including criminal exploitation through involvement in gangs and county lines drugs operations, and in particular the grooming relationships that can accompany this. Issues around gun and knife crime can also be taught as part of a school’s wider curriculum.School-led Support, Attend, Fulfil, Exceed taskforces have been established in ten hotspot areas in England. The taskforces are investing in and delivering evidence-based interventions to help young people get back on track with their education and reduce their vulnerability to serious violence. The department’s Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces see teams of specialists providing integrated, child-centred support in the largest alterative provision schools in serious violence hotspot areas.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the level of foreign aid for India.

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 also provide expertise in areas such as offshore wind, in support of India's climate commitments.Ministers are reviewing the FCDO's Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget to ensure it delivers on our priorities. We are committed to transparency and will publish ODA allocations for 2024-25.

What steps he is taking to support homeless military veterans in Essex.

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. To achieve this the Government has committed a further £3.5 million to the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme, including Op FORTITUDE, the homelessness pathway for veterans. As of 10 November 2024, Op FORTITUDE has taken over 2,700 referrals and supported over 800 veterans into housing. This new funding announcement follows the Prime Minister’s commitment earlier in the year that veterans living in England will be exempt from local connection and residency tests when applying for social housing. I recently attended a roundtable with veteran housing organisations to discuss the implementation of this reform, and I am also a member of the Inter-ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping which is driving progress on the development of our cross-government homelessness strategy.

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.

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 curriculum with parents, including for relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) and religious education.Guidance on what maintained schools must or should publish online is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-maintained-schools-must-publish-online. Guidance on what academies and further education colleges must or should publish online is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-maintained-schools-must-publish-online.Schools are also required to consult parents in advance on their relationships and sex education policies. The statutory guidance is clear that this should include sharing examples of the materials they plan to use.If a parent feels that a school is failing to comply with its legal requirements relating to the provision of the curriculum, or that a school is acting unreasonably in the way it complies with them, they can make a formal complaint by following the school’s statutory complaints procedures.The department is currently reviewing the RSHE statutory guidance. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance for schools. As such, the government will look carefully at the consultation responses and consider the relevant evidence, including the Cass Review which has since been published, before setting out next steps.

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.

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 provider encounters may need to be adapted for some audiences, for example special schools and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Schools should involve parents/carers, the Special Educational Needs Coordinator and other relevant staff to identify any specialist support needed, and tailor each encounter appropriately.Schools can access resources for Provider Access Legislation in SEND settings through The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) here: https://resources.careersandenterprise.co.uk/resources/provider-access-legislation-pal-send-settings, as well as by contacting their local Careers Hub for support.Data published by the CEC outlines that the majority of specialist settings are offering meaningful provider encounters for their pupils. In the 2023/24 academic year, 89% of special schools reported that most students had meaningful encounters with further education colleges. 78% of special schools reported that the majority of students had meaningful encounters with independent training providers.The department will continue to monitor and review the level of compliance with the Provider Access Legislation, the support in place and the impact on young people.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of GPs in Essex.

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 bottlenecks so the health service has enough staff for the future, and we are providing £82 million to fund the recruitment of over 1,000 newly qualified GPs, via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, so patients can get the care they need.The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board advises that there are currently 30 GPs on its Enhanced GP Fellowship Scheme, developed to support GP retention and recruitment. Additional fellowship opportunities, both portfolio and core, are due to launch in December 2024. A GP Fellowship Scheme is in place in Thurrock to specifically increase GP recruitment in the area. There has been an increase in the number of training practices, and Mid and South Essex now has 207 educators and 80 Training Practices.

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.

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 by the Government in table ASY D_11 here: Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).Data on asylum support costs under the previous government are available in the Home Office Annual Report.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of undertaking a pay review for all military personnel.

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 sent a pay round remit letter to the Armed Forces’ Pay Review body on 30 of September 2024 requesting their advice to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Defence on the remuneration and charges for members of the Naval, Military and Air Forces of the Crown for the 2025 Pay Round. On 29 July 2024, the Government accepted the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body’s and Senior Salaries Review Body’s recommendations in full for the 2024-25 Pay Round, which was backdated to 1 April 2024 and paid in September salaries. This was the largest headline percentage uplift in 22 years for the Armed Forces.

Whether her Department plans to allocate new (a) funding and (b) resources to support children with special educational needs and disabilities in schools.

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 providing an increase of almost £1 billion for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion.The department is providing this increase to high needs funding to help meet the increase in costs local authorities will be facing next year, as they in turn provide support to schools and to pupils with SEND.The department is now in the process of calculating local authorities’ indicative high needs funding allocations for the 2025/26 financial year, which it expects to publish before the end of November.

What steps she is taking to help prevent the provision of large dinghies to people smuggling gangs.

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 4th November, the Prime Minister set out his plans to INTERPOL for people-smuggling to be viewed as a global security threat and announced an additional £75 million to boost UK border security, bringing the investment in the Border Security Command over the next two years to £150 million. This will provide additional specialist investigators, intelligence officers, and state of the art surveillance equipment to ensure those behind this criminal activity are brought to justice.

How many people were prosecuted for TV licence evasion in England in (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024.

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: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.This can be accessed by navigating to the ‘Prosecutions and Convictions’ tab and using the HO code filter to select the HO offence code ‘19101 – Television licence evasion’ in the Outcomes by Offence Tool.Data covering the 2024 calendar year is planned for publication in May 2025.