Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps is he taking to improve patient flow between emergency departments and inpatient wards.

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan set out steps we are taking to ensure that patients will receive better, faster, and more appropriate emergency care this winter, backed by a total of nearly £450 million of funding. We are aiming for 78% of patients to be seen in in four hours this year, meaning over 800,000 people will receive more timely care. Building on this, the NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework sets out a clear trajectory to improve urgent and emergency care performance year-on-year, reducing long waits and improving patient flow. In February, we published guidance on the Model Emergency Department, setting out the core principles and pathways for high-performing emergency departments. The guidance includes a national model for extended emergency medicine ambulatory care and is intended to support faster decision-making across urgent and emergency care pathways, whilst strengthening whole-system responsibility for performance. This will improve patient experience and patient flow, with lower waiting times and less overcrowding.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Patients to benefit from improved access to dental appointments, published on 21 February 2026, what steps he is taking to help ensure that high street dentists offer the additional urgent appointments.

The Government is committed to ensuring people can access urgent dental care when they need it. Over the past year, integrated care boards (ICBs) have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. We will ensure a continued urgent care safety net by requiring, from April 2026, high street dentists to deliver 8.2% of their total contract value as urgent or unscheduled care.We are broadening the scope of the commitment to deliver additional appointments so that they can be used for more patients, not just those who meet the clinical criteria for “urgent” care. Additionally, we are increasing the urgent care payment to dentists from an average of £42 to £75 so that reimbursement better incentivises dentists to deliver the care patients need.ICBs already have capacity in place for urgent dental care and can now consider where capacity could be more effectively used, ahead of the April 2026 reforms that will embed urgent care requirements into all high‑street dental contracts. NHS England has written to ICBs with further information on the commissioning of the additional dental appointments.

What assessment he has made of trends since 2021 in the number of patients waiting more than 12 hours in Accident and Emergency departments.

No such assessment has been made. NHS England began publishing data on number of patients waiting more than 12 hours in accident and emergency (A&E) departments in February 2023. The data is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2025-26/For Type 1 and Type 2 attendances, the proportion of patients spending more than 12 hours in A&E during the 12 months to February 2026 was 10.1%. This represents an improvement of 0.2 percentage points compared to the figure of 10.3% recorded in the 12 months to June 2024.

What proportion of graduates who were not in high-skilled roles 15 months after graduation remain outside high-skilled employment a) three years later and b) five years later.

The department does not produce estimates of the proportion of graduates in high-skilled roles at three or five years after graduation.Graduate Outcome survey data published by HESA shows that around 70% of UK domiciled students who graduated with an undergraduate degree from a UK higher education provider during the 2022/23 academic year were in high-skilled employment fifteen months after graduation. This survey data does not track graduates beyond fifteen months to outline details of graduate employment three or five years later.While the department uses Longitudinal Educational Outcomes data to track graduate earning and employment outcomes at three and five years after graduation, this data does not include graduate occupation. The latest Graduate Outcomes survey data was published in July 2025 and can be found at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb272/figure-12.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness on 23 February 2026, how much less Thurrock council will need to repay each year following the removal of the pay-day loan premium.

The previous government made a sustained recovery for councils even harder by charging a premium on borrowing for councils needing Exceptional Financial Support. In December 2024, the government confirmed that the additional 1% premium on Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) borrowing would not apply to any council borrowing or refinancing going forward.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness on 23 February 2026, whether the removal of the pay-day loan premium will apply to councils not currently in receipt of Exceptional Financial Support.

The previous government made a sustained recovery for councils even harder by charging a premium on borrowing for councils needing Exceptional Financial Support. In December 2024, the government confirmed that the additional 1% premium on Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) borrowing would not apply to any council borrowing or refinancing going forward.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness on 23 February 2026, whether the removal of the pay-day loan premium will apply to the reorganised councils who will inherit the debt of areas such as Thurrock.

The previous government made a sustained recovery for councils even harder by charging a premium on borrowing for councils needing Exceptional Financial Support. In December 2024, the government confirmed that the additional 1% premium on Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) borrowing would not apply to any council borrowing or refinancing going forward.

What steps she is taking to provide support to schools in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency where the number of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and Maths is lower than the national average.

We know unacceptable inequalities in outcomes exist across the country and at every phase of education.The ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ White Paper establishes our plan to improve the outcomes of all children, building on support at home with a stretching, enriching and inclusive school experience.Our ambition is that all children achieve higher standards and the disadvantage gap is halved, enabling 30,000 more disadvantaged young people passing their English and maths GCSEs than today.The department has committed £28.3 million to drive standards in reading and writing, including the new continuing professional development programme for secondary schools, the Unlocking Reading programme, supporting struggling readers in key stage 3.Our 40 maths hubs provide local school-to-school support to improve maths teaching, including Venn Essex Maths Hub in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.We will go further by deepening the partnership between maths and English hubs and the Universal Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence programme, and strengthening and extending Maths Hubs programmes in reception to boost early numeracy.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of GCSE a) English and b) Maths attainment in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency over the last two years.

We know unacceptable inequalities in outcomes exist across the country and at every phase of education.The ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ White Paper establishes our plan to improve the outcomes of all children, building on support at home with a stretching, enriching and inclusive school experience.Our ambition is that all children achieve higher standards and the disadvantage gap is halved, enabling 30,000 more disadvantaged young people passing their English and maths GCSEs than today.The department has committed £28.3 million to drive standards in reading and writing, including the new continuing professional development programme for secondary schools, the Unlocking Reading programme, supporting struggling readers in key stage 3.Our 40 maths hubs provide local school-to-school support to improve maths teaching, including Venn Essex Maths Hub in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.We will go further by deepening the partnership between maths and English hubs and the Universal Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence programme, and strengthening and extending Maths Hubs programmes in reception to boost early numeracy.

What steps he is taking to improve transparency in reporting patient harm occurring in accident and emergency departments.

The Government is committed to transparency in reporting patient harm in the National Health Service. The Learn from Patient Safety Events (LFPSE) service allows frontline workers in NHS providers to record and analyse their own patient safety incidents in order to identify trends. At the national level, NHS England reviews hundreds of incidents each week via LFPSE, looking for risks that can be acted on, including by issuing National Patient Safety Alerts and collaborating with partners to address issues identified.We recognise that urgent and emergency care performance has not consistently met expectations in recent years and are committed to restoring the waiting standards set out in the NHS Constitution by the end of this Parliament, as outlined in the Medium-Term Planning Framework, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29/NHS England has also published guidance on the Model Emergency Department, setting out core principles and pathways for high-performing emergency departments, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/the-model-emergency-department-high-performing-urgent-and-emergency-care-pathways/We are also taking action to tackle corridor care by introducing new reporting arrangements and committing to publishing data on its prevalence for the first time, improving transparency and driving operational improvement. Where corridor care cannot be avoided, updated guidance has been published to support trusts to deliver it safely, while maintaining patient dignity and privacy. The updated guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/principles-for-providing-patient-care-in-corridors/

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of regional variations in access to (a) nursing and (b) residential home spaces for patients waiting to be discharged.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population. That is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market and to commission a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support services to meet the diverse needs of all local people.In performing that duty, a local authority must have regard to current and likely future demand for such services and consider how providers might meet that demand. This includes ensuring sufficient rehabilitation and recovery capacity to support timely and safe discharge for people with more complex needs, including those who may require a new nursing or residential home placement where appropriate.The Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements. Additionally, through the Better Care Fund, over £9 billion is provided for 2025/26 for the National Health Service and local authorities to work jointly towards agreed goals on reducing discharge delays.

Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Government to crack down on gambling operator sport sponsorship, published on 23 February 2026, what information her Department holds on the number of people in 2025 who utilised unlicensed gambling operators which sponsored sports clubs.

We do not hold this information, as it is difficult to calculate the exact number of people who use unlicensed operators. British consumers using these sites do so using a virtual private network which affects web traffic data.However, the Government remains committed to tackling the illegal market and the threats it poses to British consumers. Last year, the Gambling Commission published a series of research reports on the illegal market and is working to further improve its evidence base. We also invite further information on the use of unlicensed operators through the consultation process.

What discussions he has had with NHS England on reducing long-stay hospital delays caused by social care capacity.

The Department works closely with NHS England on reducing long-stay hospital delays including those caused by social care capacity. Though the Better Care Fund (BCF) the Government provides over £9 billion to be used jointly by the National Health Service and local authorities towards achieving agreed goals for reducing discharge delays.Local systems have been asked to place a particular focus on reducing bed occupancy and improving patient flow. We have asked National Health Service trusts to work with local authorities on eliminating the longest days, including those caused by waiting for care packages. Areas facing the most significant pressures are receiving targeted support to improve discharge performance.Updated BCF guidance published in February sets out arrangements to further support timely discharge from hospital including focussing on services that help people regain independence. The updated BCF guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/better-care-fund-framework-2026-to-2027/better-care-fund-framework-2026-to-2027

What steps he is taking to help increase the number of (a) nursing and (b) residential home placements.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population. That is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market and to commission a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support services to meet the diverse needs of all local people.In performing that duty, a local authority must have regard to current and likely future demand for such services and consider how providers might meet that demand. This includes ensuring sufficient rehabilitation and recovery capacity to support timely and safe discharge for people with more complex needs, including those who may require a new nursing or residential home placement where appropriate.The Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements. Additionally, through the Better Care Fund, over £9 billion is provided for 2025/26 for the National Health Service and local authorities to work jointly towards agreed goals on reducing discharge delays.

Pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Patients to benefit from improved access to dental appointments, published on 21 February 2026, how many additional urgent appointments each high street dentist will be required to provide.

The Government is committed to ensuring people can access urgent dental care when they need it. Over the past year, integrated care boards (ICBs) have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country.We are broadening the scope of the commitment to deliver additional appointments so that they can be used for more patients, not just those who meet the clinical criteria for “urgent” care. This will allow ICBs to use the extra commissioned capacity more flexibly and deliver more appointments, ensuring resources reach those who genuinely need treatment. Each ICB is responsible for commissioning dental services in their area from local providers.We will ensure a continued urgent care safety net by requiring, from April 2026, high street dentists to deliver 8.2% of their total contract value as urgent or unscheduled care.The Mid and South Essex ICB, which includes the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, delivered 53,376 additional courses of treatment in the first seven months of this financial year, from April to October 2025, compared to the corresponding months of the year before the general election.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Patients to benefit from improved access to dental appointments, published on 21 February 2026, how many additional urgent appointments will be available in (a) Basildon and (b) Thurrock as a result of the broadening of the scope of the target.

The Government is committed to ensuring people can access urgent dental care when they need it. Over the past year, integrated care boards (ICBs) have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country.We are broadening the scope of the commitment to deliver additional appointments so that they can be used for more patients, not just those who meet the clinical criteria for “urgent” care. This will allow ICBs to use the extra commissioned capacity more flexibly and deliver more appointments, ensuring resources reach those who genuinely need treatment. Each ICB is responsible for commissioning dental services in their area from local providers.We will ensure a continued urgent care safety net by requiring, from April 2026, high street dentists to deliver 8.2% of their total contract value as urgent or unscheduled care.The Mid and South Essex ICB, which includes the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, delivered 53,376 additional courses of treatment in the first seven months of this financial year, from April to October 2025, compared to the corresponding months of the year before the general election.

What steps he is taking to help reduce avoidable demand on Accident and Emergency departments.

The Government recognises that urgent and emergency care performance has fallen short in recent years. We are committed to restoring accident and emergency waiting times to the NHS Constitutional standard and reducing accident and emergency demand.Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 sets out clear actions to deliver improvements this winter and beyond. We are aiming for 78% of patients to be seen in four hours this year, meaning over 800,000 people will receive more timely care.We are investing £250 million into expanding same day and urgent care services, helping avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital and supporting faster diagnosis, treatment, and discharge for patients.In the longer-term, our 10-Year Health Plan will increase the urgent care capacity outside hospital through new neighbourhood health services, reducing demand pressures on accident and emergency.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on a) harassment, b) grooming and c) image misuse linked to publicly accessible profiles of children under age 13.

The government engages closely with Ofcom on the implementation and enforcement of the Online Safety Act, including regular discussions on risks to children.The Act has strong protections for children. The Act requires in-scope services to protect children from illegal content and criminal activity, including illegal harassment and bullying, grooming, sexual exploitation and abuse and offences relating to sexual images.Last month, Ofcom announced the fast-tracking of decisions on proactive technology requirements, such as using hash matching to block illegal intimate images.

What proportion of a) GP consultations and b) Accident and Emergency attendances in England were assessed as i) avoidable, ii) non-urgent and iii) more appropriately managed in alternative settings in the latest year for which figures are available.

NHS England publishes monthly data on General Practice Appointments, including the approximate length of time between appointments being booked and taking place, including same day appointments, for instance for patients needing more urgent care. However, this can’t be used as a proxy for avoidable, non-urgent, or if a particular patient would be more appropriately managed in alternative settings. In the 12-months to December 2025, 44% of all appointments were delivered on the same day and 88% of appointments not usually booked in advance were delivered within two weeks of booking.General practices (GP) are independent businesses that hold contracts with the National Health Service to provide essential services. The contracts are clear that patients must be offered an assessment of need or signposting to a different service on the day they contact their practice. The 2026/27 GP Contract makes it explicit that any requests identified as clinically urgent, as determined by the GP, must be dealt with on the same day. The Emergency Care Data Set is the national data set for urgent and emergency care, published by NHS England. In 2024/25, 25,822,265 patients attended accident and emergency departments, excluding planned follow ups, with data being published at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-accident--emergency-activity/2024-25 Of these, approximately 8%, or approximately two million, were recorded as non-urgent. However, this does not mean they were necessarily avoidable or could have been managed in alternative settings. We are taking action to reduce pressures on emergency departments and working to ensure patients are seen and treated in the most appropriate setting. This includes: encouraging the use of alternative community services before attending accident and emergency; expanding urgent care access in primary, community, and mental health settings, including more support from Urgent Community Response teams; and increasing the use of virtual wards.

Innovation and Technology, what plans she has to publish annual data on media literacy levels among children and young people.

Ofcom has a duty to promote and research media literacy under the Communications Act 2003, as clarified by the Online Safety Act 2023. As part of this, Ofcom publishes research on children’s media use, attitudes and understanding, including its annual Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes report.The government has no current plans to publish a separate dataset on media literacy levels among children and young people. We draw on Ofcom’s evidence to inform policy and commission additional research where appropriate. DSIT works closely with Ofcom to share insights, coordinate activity, and ensure research is proportionate and avoids duplication.