Written questions by McMurdock.

What assessment he has made of the impact of intermittent renewable energy generation on grid stability.

The Government is confident that Great Britain’s electricity system continues to maintain high levels of resilience and strong security of supply. System operators have the tools they need to effectively manage the system in a wide range of scenarios as renewable generation increases. This includes ensuring sufficient negative and positive reserves on the system to manage changes in generation or demand.

What assessment he has made of the role grid-scale energy storage will play in maintaining electricity supply when renewable generation is low.

Grid-scale storage helps to balance the electricity system at lower cost, maximise the output from intermittent low carbon generation, and provide electricity security. The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan sets out ambitions for 23-27 GW of grid-scale batteries and 4-6GW of long duration electricity storage (LDES) by 2030. Batteries enable us to manage intraday variability, and LDES technologies enable us to cover multi‑hour to multi‑day energy deficits.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of current grid reserve capacity as renewable generation increases.

The Government is confident that Great Britain’s electricity system continues to maintain high levels of resilience and strong security of supply. System operators have the tools they need to effectively manage the system in a wide range of scenarios as renewable generation increases. This includes ensuring sufficient negative and positive reserves on the system to manage changes in generation or demand.

What recent assessment she has made of the impact of fuel duty on a) inflation and b) the cost of living.

The Government recognises the impact of fuel costs on household budgets and is already taking action to help keep fuel prices down. Since Autumn Budget 2024, the Government’s decisions to freeze fuel duty will save the average motorist around 8 to 11 pence per litre, compared to the plans inherited from the previous government.The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) set out the impact of policy measures on inflation in its Autumn Budget 2025 forecast, including the fuel duty freeze extension announced at that Budget. The OBR forecast that this measure will reduce CPI inflation by around 0.13 percentage points in 2026/27.

What information his Department holds on the average cost for individuals to obtain the MenB vaccine privately; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of cost on vaccine uptake.

The UK Health Security Agency is not able to advise on the cost of meningococcal B vaccines on the private market. Private market supply and pricing is a matter for suppliers and those offering private vaccination services directly.

What recent assessment he has made of awareness levels among teenagers and young adults regarding their risk of meningitis B.

In a 2023 survey of 1,003 teenagers aged 13 to 16 years old, when asked ‘How serious would it be if you got each of the following diseases?’ awareness of the seriousness of meningitis and septicaemia was very high. 98% of respondents answered that septicaemia would be very or fairly serious and 96% for meningitis. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/parental-attitudes-to-vaccination-in-young-children#what-young-people-and-their-parents-think-about-teenage-vaccination-in-englandA similar survey was completed in December 2025, and the summary findings from this survey will be published in the coming months. Information about the early signs of invasive meningococcal disease and septicaemia are available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/Further information about the outbreak in Kent is available at the following link:https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2026/03/18/meningitis-b-outbreak-what-you-need-to-know/The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published information via social media, news stories, and a blog to provide accurate information about invasive meningococcal disease.Charitable organisations, including Meningitis Now, have launched targeted campaigns to improve understanding of symptoms and promote vaccine uptake where available.The UKHSA and the National Health Service will continue to work with partners to promote awareness of invasive meningococcal disease symptoms, encourage vaccination where appropriate, and support young people in understanding how best to protect themselves.In addition to this work, the UKHSA produces a university vaccine communications toolkit in collaboration with charities and university organisations, which is available at the following link:https://find-public-health-resources.service.gov.uk/University%20vaccine%20communications%20toolkit/UNI24This document collates key messaging around vaccines and vaccine preventable diseases, including invasive meningococcal disease, and the resources freely available to universities and other higher education institutions to support key messaging. This is updated each year and shared with the distribution lists of Universities UK and the Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education.

What steps is he taking to inform individuals born before 2015 that they are not routinely vaccinated against meningitis B.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) vaccine schedule links are covered in the UKHSA blog at the following link:https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2026/03/20/who-is-eligible-for-the-menb-vaccine-and-do-i-need-it-myself/This includes links to the teenage vaccine leaflet on the GOV.UK website on Immunisation for teenagers and young people, which states:“MenACWY vaccine does not protect against MenB. MenB is caused by different group of the bug which commonly affects young infants. A different vaccine, which protects against MenB, is given to very young babies. Some adults and older children considered at risk may be eligible on the NHS. You can find out more about how to get the MenB vaccine through the charity websites.”This is alongside the MenACWY vaccine leaflet, which states:“The MenACWY vaccine will increase your protection against MenC and help to protect you against three other meningococcal groups (A, W and Y). This vaccine will not protect you against all forms of meningococcal disease, like MenB, and so it is still important to be aware of signs and symptoms.”These leaflets can be accessed directly on the GOV.UK website, at the following two links:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immunisations-for-young-peoplehttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/menacwy-vaccine-information-for-young-people

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of compliance with national guidance on the monitoring of patients in accident and emergency waiting rooms.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 March 2026 to Question 110313.

Pursuant to Answer of 23rd March 2026 to Question 115902, on Accident and Emergency Departments: Standards, what estimate he has made of the number of patients waiting more than 12 hours in Accident and Emergency before being seen by a doctor.

The 12‑hour accident and emergency (A&E) performance metric recorded and reported by National Health Service trusts measures the time from a patient’s arrival in an emergency department to their admission, transfer, or discharge. This period includes triage, clinical assessments, diagnostics, and treatment, and patients may be seen by one or more clinicians during this time, or in some cases may not require assessment by a doctor depending on their acuity and care pathway.There is a national target that patients receive an initial clinical assessment within 15 minutes of arrival in A&E. This assessment considers patient acuity, ensuring those most unwell and at greatest risk are identified and prioritised, so that clinical oversight can be adjusted accordingly and to ensure the sickest patients are seen first.The Department does not hold an estimate of the number of patients who wait more than 12 hours in A&E before being seen by a doctor, as “being seen by a doctor” is not a data point that is routinely captured or reported.

Whether workforce levels in a) urgent treatment centres, b) same-day emergency care and c) NHS 111 are adequate to deliver the objectives of the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan.

Decisions on workforce levels and recruitment are a matter for individual National Health Service employers, who manage resources at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

What plans he has to introduce a catch-up MenB vaccination programme for those born before May 2015 who were not eligible for the routine infant programme.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI have been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.On the 17 March my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that he would ask the JCVI to review eligibility for meningococcal B vaccination. The JCVI will conduct a full assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a routine adolescent meningococcal B vaccination programme and provide a complete and formal response to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, as soon as practicable.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending MenB vaccinations to all teenagers and university students on public health.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI have been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.On the 17 March my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that he would ask the JCVI to review eligibility for meningococcal B vaccination. The JCVI will conduct a full assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a routine adolescent meningococcal B vaccination programme and provide a complete and formal response to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, as soon as practicable.

What the main causes of delays are between triage and clinical assessment in accident and emergency departments.

We remain committed to improving patient experience and reducing waiting times across all accident and emergency departments.While NHS England sets expectations that patients attending accident and emergency departments should receive an initial clinical assessment within 15 minutes, this is guidance rather than a target and as such, performance is not routinely monitored centrally for all trusts for all patients.Triage is a clinical assessment of a person's presenting need and urgency, and it can be part of the initial clinical assessment or completed prior to it, depending on patients' needs. We do not routinely collect data about the reasons for any delays between these two parts of clinical assessment, where they are conducted separately.NHS England continues to monitor urgent and emergency care performance through a range of indicators, including waiting times, time to treatment, and overall patient flow. Work is ongoing to improve timely assessment and care, including through investment in workforce, streaming models, and front-door clinical triage.

Whether the target for initial assessment within 15 minutes in accident and emergency departments is being met in each NHS trust.

We remain committed to improving patient experience and reducing waiting times across all accident and emergency departments.While NHS England sets expectations that patients attending accident and emergency departments should receive an initial clinical assessment within 15 minutes, this is guidance rather than a target and as such, performance is not routinely monitored centrally for all trusts for all patients.Triage is a clinical assessment of a person's presenting need and urgency, and it can be part of the initial clinical assessment or completed prior to it, depending on patients' needs. We do not routinely collect data about the reasons for any delays between these two parts of clinical assessment, where they are conducted separately.NHS England continues to monitor urgent and emergency care performance through a range of indicators, including waiting times, time to treatment, and overall patient flow. Work is ongoing to improve timely assessment and care, including through investment in workforce, streaming models, and front-door clinical triage.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled New radar systems to unlock offshore wind, published on 20th March 2026, what estimate he has made of how much of the 10 GW of offshore wind capacity unlocked has already been contracted but not yet constructed.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Ministry of Defence carried out in-depth analysis of the UK’s offshore wind pipeline to understand which offshore wind farms had radar dependencies and would be unlocked by an upgraded air defence radar system that protects both national security and energy security. The 10 GW of offshore wind capacity unlocked consists of relevant projects successful at Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7 and others that will support the Government’s clean power mission which are at varying stages of development.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled New radar systems to unlock offshore wind, published on 20th March 2026, what alternative technological or operational solutions were considered to address radar interference from offshore wind turbines.

The new radar systems have met the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) requirements and represent the optimal solution currently available. This option is supported by a robust and well-documented methodology that provides the MOD the confidence that the solution can effectively mitigate the adverse impact of offshore wind turbines on long-range Air Defence radars. The MOD will continue to rigorously assess and implement appropriate mitigation measures to ensure that any offshore wind farm, with the potential to affect Air Defence radar operations, is only approved once these safeguards are firmly in place. The MOD continues to support the Government’s Clean Power Mission.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled New radar systems to unlock offshore wind, published on 20th March 2026, what assessment he has made of the impact of offshore wind turbines on the performance of existing radar systems prior to this upgrade.

The new radar systems have met the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) requirements and represent the optimal solution currently available. This option is supported by a robust and well-documented methodology that provides the MOD the confidence that the solution can effectively mitigate the adverse impact of offshore wind turbines on long-range Air Defence radars. The MOD will continue to rigorously assess and implement appropriate mitigation measures to ensure that any offshore wind farm, with the potential to affect Air Defence radar operations, is only approved once these safeguards are firmly in place. The MOD continues to support the Government’s Clean Power Mission.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled New radar systems to unlock offshore wind, published on 20th March 2026, what assessment he has made of the value for money of procuring new radar systems compared to alternative mitigation approaches.

The new radar systems have met the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) requirements and represent the optimal solution currently available. This option is supported by a robust and well-documented methodology that provides the MOD the confidence that the solution can effectively mitigate the adverse impact of offshore wind turbines on long-range Air Defence radars. The MOD will continue to rigorously assess and implement appropriate mitigation measures to ensure that any offshore wind farm, with the potential to affect Air Defence radar operations, is only approved once these safeguards are firmly in place. The MOD continues to support the Government’s Clean Power Mission.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled New radar systems to unlock offshore wind, published on 20th March 2026, what estimate he has made of the amount of offshore wind capacity that has been delayed or constrained due to radar-related issues.

As part of a mission led Government, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Ministry of Defence and have worked together to assess the impact of offshore wind on the UK’s radar systems and the potential for delays to offshore wind deployment. This collaborative effort informed the procurement of the new specially designed air defence radar systems, which will facilitate the co-existence of up to 10 GW of offshore wind capacity, enabling the Government to deliver its clean power mission whilst protecting national security.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled New radar systems to unlock offshore wind, published on 20th March 2026, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of radar-related constraints on previous offshore wind project delays.

As part of a mission led Government, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Ministry of Defence and have worked together to assess the impact of offshore wind on the UK’s radar systems and the potential for delays to offshore wind deployment. This collaborative effort informed the procurement of the new specially designed air defence radar systems, which will facilitate the co-existence of up to 10 GW of offshore wind capacity, enabling the Government to deliver its clean power mission whilst protecting national security.