Written questions by McMurdock.

Whether he plans to continue funding the International Labour Organisation.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) plays an important role in setting international labour standards and holding those that fail to uphold international labour rights accountable. The UK was a founding member of the ILO; the Government is committed to maintaining its membership.The UK’s assessed annual contribution is based on the standard United Nations system of assessed contributions applied to all 187 ILO member states, broadly linked to relative levels of GDP. In 2025–26 the total UK contribution totalled £14.76 million, the majority of which is classed within the UK’s Official Development Assistance. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ensures that the UK financial contribution to the ILO is used effectively, demonstrates value for money and aligns with the UK’s national objectives. Through our permanent membership of the ILO Governing Body, we undertake robust scrutiny of the ILO’s budgetary proposals and administration to increase the impact, effectiveness and delivery of the Organisation.

What estimate he has made of the expected contribution to the International Labour Organisation in 2025-26.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) plays an important role in setting international labour standards and holding those that fail to uphold international labour rights accountable. The UK was a founding member of the ILO; the Government is committed to maintaining its membership.The UK’s assessed annual contribution is based on the standard United Nations system of assessed contributions applied to all 187 ILO member states, broadly linked to relative levels of GDP. In 2025–26 the total UK contribution totalled £14.76 million, the majority of which is classed within the UK’s Official Development Assistance. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ensures that the UK financial contribution to the ILO is used effectively, demonstrates value for money and aligns with the UK’s national objectives. Through our permanent membership of the ILO Governing Body, we undertake robust scrutiny of the ILO’s budgetary proposals and administration to increase the impact, effectiveness and delivery of the Organisation.

Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of staff in her Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

DCMS operates a ‘hybrid’ approach led by business needs, and as a result many employees will work both from home and in the workplace on an informal basis. DCMS staff agree to a contracted office location at the time of their appointment, with hybrid working as the default working pattern. Therefore staff are categorised as either office-based or remote-working (homeworking). Fewer than five employees (less than 1% of the workforce) are designated as contractual homeworkers. DCMS remains committed to flexible working and the business benefits that it offers, including supporting the Civil Service priority of ensuring continued, effective and productive delivery of the work carried out by civil servants across the full range of services.

With reference to the Trade Remedies Authority's press release entitled Anti-dumping measure on ironing boards from China maintained, published on 12 February 2026, what the anti-dumping duties on Chinese ironing boards will be spent on.

Revenue collected from this and other trade remedies measures is not ringfenced and is therefore part of how public services, including schools, police, and the NHS, are funded.

Innovation and Technology, what proportion of staff in his Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

99.86% of the workforce has an office-based contract.0% of the workforce has a hybrid working contract. Hybrid working is a non-contractual arrangement under which employees are expected to spend 40-60% of their working hours in the office as the norm (with a minimum of 40%) with Senior Civil Servants and Fast Stream employees aiming towards 60% office attendance during a 4-week accounting period.0.14% of the workforce has a remote-working contract.

Communities and Local Government, how Thurrock and Basildon councils' debts will be distributed once local government reorganisation in Essex has concluded.

The assets, liabilities and ongoing commitments of the councils being replaced would transfer to the new authorities, in line with previous reorganisations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff in her Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office employs approximately 17,500 staff across hundreds of locations worldwide, many of which operate with locally managed HR arrangements and procedures. The information the Hon Member has requested is therefore not centrally held and could only be collated and verified at disproportionate cost.

With reference to his press release entitled Every child caught with a knife to get tailored support, published on 11 February 2026, if he will set out how the £320 million Youth Justice Services funding package will be allocated across England and Wales; and what proportion of that funding is new money.

Over the next three financial years, the Ministry of Justice will allocate £281 million for youth justice grants and a further £46 million of funding for the extension of the Turnaround grant programme.This is a continuation of funding levels from previous years but the Department has provided multi-year funding to youth justice services. This will give youth justice services the stability to retain staff, plan effectively with partners, and commission services more efficiently - ultimately strengthening their ability to tackle knife possession and other offences committed by children.Funding will be allocated to Youth Justice Services across England and Wales using same distribution method that has been applied for the past 13 years. We recognise that the current method for allocating youth justice funding needs updating and later this year we will undertake a consultation about long-term funding and oversight arrangements for youth justice services.

How many and what proportion of staff in his Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD), along with other Government Departments, is committed to Smarter Working and much of our workforce has embraced the benefits of hybrid working, both for the business and themselves. We have implemented Government direction on increased office attendance and, as a broad average, at least 60% of time is spent working in office for office-based workers. For some this will be more, for others less, and is dependent upon the activity, business outcomes to be delivered and sometimes site capacity constraints. All employees agree their working location with their local line management and a central record of working locations is not held. The MOD does not issue specific remote working contracts and does not record centrally remote working activity; remote working falls under hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual arrangement.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the barriers to long-term investment in mobile network infrastructure.

On 10th February, the Government published the Mobile Market Review (MMR) call for evidence. The MMR is a deep dive into the factors shaping industry's ability to invest in networks over the long-term, from investment challenges to the rapid technological developments occurring across the sector.Delivering the government’s ambition for all populated areas to have standalone 5G by 2030 requires sustained investment from industry. Through this call for evidence, we want to understand what further action more government can take to create the conditions for long-term investment in mobile networks across the UK.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on potential enforcement action where providers fail to meet the commitments set out in the Telecoms Consumer Charter.

The Telecoms Consumer Charter is public a commitment made by providers, building on Ofcom’s existing rules on pricing transparency, switching and end‑of‑contract notifications, and goes further in areas where Government has identified improvements are needed.While it is not our intention to regulate, we are monitoring implementation of the commitments within the Charter through regular engagement with the sector. Ofcom continues to monitor compliance with its own regulatory measures, including transparency reforms and One Touch Switching.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, what steps her Department is taking to monitor compliance with the Telecoms Consumer Charter.

The Telecoms Consumer Charter is public a commitment made by providers, building on Ofcom’s existing rules on pricing transparency, switching and end‑of‑contract notifications, and goes further in areas where Government has identified improvements are needed.While it is not our intention to regulate, we are monitoring implementation of the commitments within the Charter through regular engagement with the sector. Ofcom continues to monitor compliance with its own regulatory measures, including transparency reforms and One Touch Switching.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, what steps she is taking to help ensure that customers in financial difficulty can switch to cheaper plans without penalty.

The Telecoms Consumer Charter strengthens protections for customers who may be eligible for social tariffs by securing commitments from major providers to ensure these tariffs are clearly signposted and easy to find in customer communications. This ensures that those who may benefit from a social tariff can more easily identify and access one. This includes, for example, signposting offers in End-of-Contract notifications, provider websites, app menus, and customer service scripts. Eligibility for social tariffs is assessed on an individual basis and requires customers to provide information, such as confirmation that they receive a means-tested benefit, before providers can determine whether they qualify. For this reason, providers cannot proactively identify eligible households, as they do not have access to the necessary personal data unless and until a customer applies. The Charter focuses on making clear, visible information available at the points where customers are most likely to look for support. The Charter also includes a specific commitment to support customers who are facing financial difficulty by offering practical support such as allowing them to move to cheaper packages without charge or penalty, or manageable payment plans. This ensures people under financial pressure can switch to more affordable options without incurring additional costs.

How many and what proportion of staff in her Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

As of February 2026, 486 employees of the department (6%) work remotely because their roles require them to be based at a distance from a departmental office.All other employees, apart from a small number with homeworking as a reasonable adjustment, are office‑based with access to hybrid working arrangements. Hybrid working arrangements are non-contractual and led by business needs.

What proportion of staff in her Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

HM Treasury is an office‑based organisation. Staff are employed on office‑based contracts and may work remotely under the Department’s hybrid working policy, which expects at least 60% office attendance. Hybrid working is an informal arrangement and not contractual. The Department does not generally offer home‑based contracts; full‑time homeworking is only agreed on a temporary basis, for example as a workplace adjustment.

What proportion of staff in the Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid, and (c) remote-working contracts.

Contracts issued to staff do not record the information requested. Hybrid working is an informal, non-contractual agreement.The AGO is committed to flexible working and the business benefits that it offers, including supporting the Civil Service priority of ensuring continued, effective and productive delivery of the work carried out by civil servants across the full range of services.The AGO operates a ‘hybrid’ approach, led by business needs, and as a result many employees work both from home and in the workplace on an informal basis.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, what estimate she has made of the number of mobile and broadband customers who will benefit from the end of unexpected mid-contract price rises.

The Department’s assessment is that the Telecoms Consumer Charter will strengthen protections for consumer by securing the clear and public commitment from major providers that the price customers sign up to is the price they will pay, except for genuinely unforeseeable circumstances.While it is not possible to provide a precise estimate of the number of consumers who will benefit, the Charter covers the vast majority of the market, with major fixed and mobile providers having signed up. This mean millions of mobile and broadband customers will now have greater certainty over their monthly bills. These commitments will help to ensure households can better manage costs and avoid mid-contract bill shocks.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the water quality of the River Thames along the South Essex shoreline.

The Environment Agency is working with Water Companies on WINEP schemes in your constituency, including three investigations due for completion in 2027 and six projects to install monitors at sewage treatment works.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled End to surprise phone and broadband bill hikes to help with cost of living, published on 11 February 2026, what estimate she has made of the number of households eligible for social tariffs who are not currently accessing them.

Ofcom’s most recent Pricing Trends Report showed that in June 2024 9.6% of eligible households were using social tariffs. This included an estimated 506,000 households out of around 5.3 million in receipt of Universal Credit.Through the Telecoms Consumer Charter, providers have also committed to strengthening the visibility and accessibility of social tariffs by ensuring they are clearly signposted in eligible customer communications. This commitment is designed to make it simpler for eligible households to locate the support available and to understand the options open to them.We will continue to track progress of this through Ofcom’s regular reporting.

What recent assessment he has made of the value for money of the £50 million funding given to the International Labour Organisation since 2020.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) plays an important role in setting international labour standards and holding those that fail to uphold international labour rights accountable. The UK was a founding member of the ILO; the Government is committed to maintaining its membership.The UK’s assessed annual contribution is based on the standard United Nations system of assessed contributions applied to all 187 ILO member states, broadly linked to relative levels of GDP. In 2025–26 the total UK contribution totalled £14.76 million, the majority of which is classed within the UK’s Official Development Assistance. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ensures that the UK financial contribution to the ILO is used effectively, demonstrates value for money and aligns with the UK’s national objectives. Through our permanent membership of the ILO Governing Body, we undertake robust scrutiny of the ILO’s budgetary proposals and administration to increase the impact, effectiveness and delivery of the Organisation.