Written questions by McMurdock.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Every child caught with a knife to get tailored support, published on 11 February 2026, what sanctions will be applied for children not engaging with mandatory targeted plans.

Delivering the manifesto commitment to tackle knife possession by children will require police and Youth Justice Services to put in place more evidence-based interventions to ensure that knife possession by children is addressed swiftly, robustly and effectively. The Ministry of Justice is committing £320 million over the next 3 years to youth justice services. This multi-year certainty will give the stability to retain staff, plan more effectively with partners, and commission services more efficiently – in order to better tackle knife possession and other offence committed by children. Of the £320 million funding settlement, £46 million will be ringfenced for Turnaround – the Ministry of Justice’s youth crime early intervention and prevention programme. The Turnaround programme was established by the Ministry of Justice in 2022 to provide additional funding to support children on the cusp of the youth justice system, with the explicit aim of preventing future offending.The new knife possession guidance is non-statutory. Youth Justice Services (YJSs) will be required, as a condition of their Ministry of Justice funding, to have due regard to the guidance.The Government will monitor compliance through:the annual plans produced by Youth Justice Services as a condition of their Ministry of Justice funding;new data requirements about Out of Court Resolutions that the Youth Justice Board has agreed to collect from YJSs from April 2026; andupcoming inspections by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.If a child does not comply with their mandatory plans, Youth Justice Services must notify the police. The police may then charge and prosecute the child for the original offence. Engagement with interventions by Youth Justice Services can provide positive outcomes for children. Evidence from the Ministry of Justice’s Turnaround programme shows that, as of December 2024, only 7% of children who completed Turnaround interventions had offended as proven by a judicial decision or caution within 12 months of completion. The Ministry of Justice publishes information on convictions and cautions for a wide range of offences, including knife possession by age group in the Outcomes by Offences data and Out of Court Disposals tools, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page: www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly.The Ministry of Justice publishes sentencing information following remands for a wide range of offences, including knife possession by age group, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page: www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly. The police and Youth Justice Services will conduct assessments as soon as the child comes into their contact to assess their needs. Any child who identifies as a victim of county lines or drug distribution exploitation will receive specialist support within their mandatory targeted plans.

How many children were (a) convicted and (b) cautioned for knife possession in each of the last five years.

Delivering the manifesto commitment to tackle knife possession by children will require police and Youth Justice Services to put in place more evidence-based interventions to ensure that knife possession by children is addressed swiftly, robustly and effectively. The Ministry of Justice is committing £320 million over the next 3 years to youth justice services. This multi-year certainty will give the stability to retain staff, plan more effectively with partners, and commission services more efficiently – in order to better tackle knife possession and other offence committed by children. Of the £320 million funding settlement, £46 million will be ringfenced for Turnaround – the Ministry of Justice’s youth crime early intervention and prevention programme. The Turnaround programme was established by the Ministry of Justice in 2022 to provide additional funding to support children on the cusp of the youth justice system, with the explicit aim of preventing future offending.The new knife possession guidance is non-statutory. Youth Justice Services (YJSs) will be required, as a condition of their Ministry of Justice funding, to have due regard to the guidance.The Government will monitor compliance through:the annual plans produced by Youth Justice Services as a condition of their Ministry of Justice funding;new data requirements about Out of Court Resolutions that the Youth Justice Board has agreed to collect from YJSs from April 2026; andupcoming inspections by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.If a child does not comply with their mandatory plans, Youth Justice Services must notify the police. The police may then charge and prosecute the child for the original offence. Engagement with interventions by Youth Justice Services can provide positive outcomes for children. Evidence from the Ministry of Justice’s Turnaround programme shows that, as of December 2024, only 7% of children who completed Turnaround interventions had offended as proven by a judicial decision or caution within 12 months of completion. The Ministry of Justice publishes information on convictions and cautions for a wide range of offences, including knife possession by age group in the Outcomes by Offences data and Out of Court Disposals tools, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page: www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly.The Ministry of Justice publishes sentencing information following remands for a wide range of offences, including knife possession by age group, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page: www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly. The police and Youth Justice Services will conduct assessments as soon as the child comes into their contact to assess their needs. Any child who identifies as a victim of county lines or drug distribution exploitation will receive specialist support within their mandatory targeted plans.

Whether he plans to provide funding for the primary care network estate in areas with low GP-to-patient ratios.

The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments.In May 2025, the Government announced the schemes which integrated care boards (ICBs) nominated as eligible to benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades to more than a thousand general practice (GP) surgeries across England this financial year. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.Building on this, the Government has committed £426 million of Utilisation and Modernisation funding over the next four years to continue upgrading the GP estate. This funding will also support refurbishing the existing estate to deliver Neighbourhood Health Centres over this Parliament as part of the 10-Year Health Plan commitment.Operational capital funding allocations have been confirmed for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period, enabling multi-year planning for ICBs and in turn supporting the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s radical vision for care.The Government has also allocated £750 million per year for estates safety from 2026/27 to 2029/30, with planning certainty for a further five years, totalling £6.75 billion.ICBs are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, GP services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including GPs, in each local area.As part of inspection activity at GP surgeries, the Care Quality Commission will look at the quality of premises under Regulation 15, covering premises and equipment, although there is no overall rating for this aspect. The intention of this regulation is to make sure that the premises where care and treatment are delivered are clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained and, where required, appropriately located, and that the equipment that is used to deliver care and treatment is clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained, stored securely, and used properly.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the budget is for the Chevening Scholarships programme in each year from 2024 to 2030.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 23 February to question 112516. The top 10 countries in terms of scholar numbers were Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Mexico, India, China, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Malaysia.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Every child caught with a knife to get tailored support, published on 11 February 2026, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Youth Justice Services staffing levels to deliver mandatory targeted plans for every child found carrying a knife.

Delivering the manifesto commitment to tackle knife possession by children will require police and Youth Justice Services to put in place more evidence-based interventions to ensure that knife possession by children is addressed swiftly, robustly and effectively. The Ministry of Justice is committing £320 million over the next 3 years to youth justice services. This multi-year certainty will give the stability to retain staff, plan more effectively with partners, and commission services more efficiently – in order to better tackle knife possession and other offence committed by children. Of the £320 million funding settlement, £46 million will be ringfenced for Turnaround – the Ministry of Justice’s youth crime early intervention and prevention programme. The Turnaround programme was established by the Ministry of Justice in 2022 to provide additional funding to support children on the cusp of the youth justice system, with the explicit aim of preventing future offending.The new knife possession guidance is non-statutory. Youth Justice Services (YJSs) will be required, as a condition of their Ministry of Justice funding, to have due regard to the guidance.The Government will monitor compliance through:the annual plans produced by Youth Justice Services as a condition of their Ministry of Justice funding;new data requirements about Out of Court Resolutions that the Youth Justice Board has agreed to collect from YJSs from April 2026; andupcoming inspections by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.If a child does not comply with their mandatory plans, Youth Justice Services must notify the police. The police may then charge and prosecute the child for the original offence. Engagement with interventions by Youth Justice Services can provide positive outcomes for children. Evidence from the Ministry of Justice’s Turnaround programme shows that, as of December 2024, only 7% of children who completed Turnaround interventions had offended as proven by a judicial decision or caution within 12 months of completion. The Ministry of Justice publishes information on convictions and cautions for a wide range of offences, including knife possession by age group in the Outcomes by Offences data and Out of Court Disposals tools, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page: www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly.The Ministry of Justice publishes sentencing information following remands for a wide range of offences, including knife possession by age group, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page: www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly. The police and Youth Justice Services will conduct assessments as soon as the child comes into their contact to assess their needs. Any child who identifies as a victim of county lines or drug distribution exploitation will receive specialist support within their mandatory targeted plans.

What proportion of GP premises are rated as not fit for purpose or requiring significant investment.

The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments.In May 2025, the Government announced the schemes which integrated care boards (ICBs) nominated as eligible to benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades to more than a thousand general practice (GP) surgeries across England this financial year. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.Building on this, the Government has committed £426 million of Utilisation and Modernisation funding over the next four years to continue upgrading the GP estate. This funding will also support refurbishing the existing estate to deliver Neighbourhood Health Centres over this Parliament as part of the 10-Year Health Plan commitment.Operational capital funding allocations have been confirmed for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period, enabling multi-year planning for ICBs and in turn supporting the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s radical vision for care.The Government has also allocated £750 million per year for estates safety from 2026/27 to 2029/30, with planning certainty for a further five years, totalling £6.75 billion.ICBs are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, GP services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including GPs, in each local area.As part of inspection activity at GP surgeries, the Care Quality Commission will look at the quality of premises under Regulation 15, covering premises and equipment, although there is no overall rating for this aspect. The intention of this regulation is to make sure that the premises where care and treatment are delivered are clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained and, where required, appropriately located, and that the equipment that is used to deliver care and treatment is clean, suitable for the intended purpose, maintained, stored securely, and used properly.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Every child caught with a knife to get tailored support, published on 11 February 2026, what proportion of the £320 million funding settlement will be ringfenced for early intervention and prevention programmes.

Delivering the manifesto commitment to tackle knife possession by children will require police and Youth Justice Services to put in place more evidence-based interventions to ensure that knife possession by children is addressed swiftly, robustly and effectively. The Ministry of Justice is committing £320 million over the next 3 years to youth justice services. This multi-year certainty will give the stability to retain staff, plan more effectively with partners, and commission services more efficiently – in order to better tackle knife possession and other offence committed by children. Of the £320 million funding settlement, £46 million will be ringfenced for Turnaround – the Ministry of Justice’s youth crime early intervention and prevention programme. The Turnaround programme was established by the Ministry of Justice in 2022 to provide additional funding to support children on the cusp of the youth justice system, with the explicit aim of preventing future offending.The new knife possession guidance is non-statutory. Youth Justice Services (YJSs) will be required, as a condition of their Ministry of Justice funding, to have due regard to the guidance.The Government will monitor compliance through:the annual plans produced by Youth Justice Services as a condition of their Ministry of Justice funding;new data requirements about Out of Court Resolutions that the Youth Justice Board has agreed to collect from YJSs from April 2026; andupcoming inspections by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.If a child does not comply with their mandatory plans, Youth Justice Services must notify the police. The police may then charge and prosecute the child for the original offence. Engagement with interventions by Youth Justice Services can provide positive outcomes for children. Evidence from the Ministry of Justice’s Turnaround programme shows that, as of December 2024, only 7% of children who completed Turnaround interventions had offended as proven by a judicial decision or caution within 12 months of completion. The Ministry of Justice publishes information on convictions and cautions for a wide range of offences, including knife possession by age group in the Outcomes by Offences data and Out of Court Disposals tools, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page: www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly.The Ministry of Justice publishes sentencing information following remands for a wide range of offences, including knife possession by age group, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page: www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly. The police and Youth Justice Services will conduct assessments as soon as the child comes into their contact to assess their needs. Any child who identifies as a victim of county lines or drug distribution exploitation will receive specialist support within their mandatory targeted plans.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of delayed discharges on emergency department congestion at Basildon Hospital.

The Government has not made a specific central assessment of the impact of delayed discharges on emergency department congestion at Basildon Hospital.Local analysis by the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust suggests substantial progress in reducing delayed discharges. This improvement follows the introduction of the integrated care transfer hub and wider system measures to strengthen patient flow, helping to ease pressure on emergency departments.Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 sets out actions to improve performance and strengthen services by reducing avoidable attendances and admissions, and through improving patient flow through hospitals. The plan commits to reducing the number of patients waiting over 12 hours for admission or discharge to less than 10% of the time, supported by almost £450 million of capital investment to avoid unnecessary admissions and support faster treatment and discharge for patients. It also includes commitments to tackle long delayed patients and reduce internal hospital delays over 48 hours.The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s One Team Improvement Plan also includes actions to improve urgent and emergency care outcomes, including increased weekend consultant cover to support more weekend discharges and maintain patient flow.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact on the UK labour market of levels of net emigration among UK nationals aged between 16 and 34.

I refer Hon Member to answer provided to PQ 95781 on 1 December 2025.

What steps is he taking to help support underperforming trusts improve compliance with the cancer treatment standard from referral to treatment.

Improving performance against the cancer treatment standards is a key priority for the Government. As set out in the National Cancer Plan, National Health Service regions and Cancer Alliances will jointly identify underperforming trusts and provide intensive, hands‑on support, including leadership intervention, peer‑to‑peer mentoring, and the secondment of senior managers from stronger performing trusts to help drive improvement. This will be backed by £200 million of ring‑fenced cancer funding in 2026/27 to strengthen local cancer pathways and reduce delays.The plan also commits to ensuring that all cancer waiting time standards are met by the end of this Parliament, with improved diagnostic capacity, digital pathways, and innovation, supporting faster movement from referral to treatment. These actions will ensure trusts facing the greatest pressures receive the targeted support required to recover performance and deliver timely, high‑quality cancer care.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of variations in cancer treatment waiting times between NHS trusts.

The Department recognises that treatment waiting times vary significantly across the country, and we are determined to change this. We will tackle this variation head on by streamlining access to cutting-edge treatments and increasing the cancer workforce in trusts that most need it, including in rural and coastal areas.The recently published National Cancer Plan sets out how we will end the postcode lottery for cancer care and improve outcomes for thousands of patients. It will shift healthcare from hospitals to the community and ensure that all cancer patients, regardless of where they live, have timely access to high-quality, specialist cancer services.National Health Service regions and Cancer Alliances will jointly identify underperforming trusts and provide intensive support including leadership intervention, peer-to-peer mentoring, seconding senior managers from stronger trusts, and access to £200 million of ringfenced cancer funding in 2026/27 to improve cancer pathway performance and reduce delays.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, published on 11 February 2026, what metrics will be used to assess the success of the Connect the Classroom initiative; and how that initiative will help reduce disparities in access to digital infrastructure between urban and rural schools.

Independent evaluation shows that the Connect the Classroom programme has improved digital infrastructure in participating schools, including better network reliability and speed, quicker log‑ins, fewer classroom disruptions and improved pupil engagement. In 2026/27, the Connect the Classroom programme will support schools on the Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence programme, and our evaluation will continue to focus on those key indicators. Further selection criteria for future years will be published in the summer.The department will also provide targeted support for digital connectivity to ensure that, where commercial fibre plans have not progressed, schools and the communities they serve are not left behind.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which ten countries' students have received the greatest number of Chevening Scholarships and Fellowships in the last ten years.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 23 February to question 112516. The top 10 countries in terms of scholar numbers were Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Mexico, India, China, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Malaysia.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, published on 11 February 2026, what oversight mechanisms are in place to ensure that local authorities and multi-academy trusts deliver planned improvements to schools and colleges; and what steps she plans to take to help tackle non-delivery.

The department will enable all responsible bodies to proactively and effectively manage their estates by setting out clear standards and expectations alongside guidance, tools and data to support them.We have already set out clear expectations in the School Estate Management Standards, including a ‘fully effective’ standard for estate management that every responsible body for schools should aim to meet.From Autumn 2026, we will ask responsible bodies to make an annual return via Manage Your Education Estate to confirm they are meeting the standards. For those who are not meeting the standards, we will put in place an estate management capability support plan. This will be an informal agreement with the responsible body setting out actions and support to bring estate management up to the expected standard within 12 months.The timelines are in the strategy, and the key milestones have been set out in annex A. The department reports on overall delivery through the annual report and accounts.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, published on 11 February 2026, how her Department will report progress on the implementation of the 10-year Education Estates Strategy including timelines and milestones.

The department will enable all responsible bodies to proactively and effectively manage their estates by setting out clear standards and expectations alongside guidance, tools and data to support them.We have already set out clear expectations in the School Estate Management Standards, including a ‘fully effective’ standard for estate management that every responsible body for schools should aim to meet.From Autumn 2026, we will ask responsible bodies to make an annual return via Manage Your Education Estate to confirm they are meeting the standards. For those who are not meeting the standards, we will put in place an estate management capability support plan. This will be an informal agreement with the responsible body setting out actions and support to bring estate management up to the expected standard within 12 months.The timelines are in the strategy, and the key milestones have been set out in annex A. The department reports on overall delivery through the annual report and accounts.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, published on 11 February 2026, how much additional financial support schools in (a) Basildon and (b) Thurrock will receive.

The Education Estates Strategy sets out plans for an education estate that supports opportunity for all, backed by a 10-year plan to deliver a decade of renewal to transform schools and colleges.The department is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance for schools and colleges, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26. We are investing almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034/35, delivering projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme, with a nomination round now open to select a further 250 schools by early 2027.The department is also investing £1 billion to improve and renew the estate including launching a new £710 million Renewal and Retrofit Programme to 2029/30 and £325 million for digital connectivity in schools, including Connect the Classroom. We are investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/26 and 2029/30 to create 60,000 specialist places, including supporting a transformative expansion of inclusion bases.Future annual capital funding allocations for responsible bodies and the details of schools prioritised for individual programmes will be set out in due course.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, published on 11 February 2026, what proportion of schools and colleges in Essex are vulnerable to risks including flooding and overheating; and how the Renewal and Retrofit Programme will prioritise resilience improvements.

The Education Estates Strategy outlines the challenge of mitigating climate‑related risks across the entire education estate. This is supported by the department’s research and analysis into overheating, flooding and water scarcity, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-of-uk-climate-change-risk-on-the-delivery-of-education/summary-of-findings-in-relation-to-3-climate-risks-overheating-flooding-and-water-scarcity.The department will continue to increase resilience to overheating and flooding through the Renewal and Retrofit Programme, which will be expanded to all regions in England from 2027.19 schools in Essex are already receiving grants for sustainable drainage systems to mitigate risk of flood, and another 10 schemes are under assessment for flood protection measures.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2026 to Question 110704, whether the answer provided also applies to (a) Thurrock council and (b) other unitary authority councils.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 110704 on 9 February 2026, which applies to all councils. The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 specifies the type of councils which may resolve to move from holding whole council elections to electing by thirds, namely non-metropolitan district that have previously held elections by thirds.

Pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled ‘UK steps up defence of Arctic and High North from rising Russian threats,’ published on 11 February 2026, what discussions he has had with NATO allies on Arctic and High North defence at recent meetings of Defence Ministers, including on what commitments those allies are making in this theatre.

The Ministry of Defence continuously monitors Russia’s military posture in the Arctic and High North as part of routine defence intelligence and strategic assessments. While the UK and NATO recognise Russia’s status as an Arctic state with a legitimate presence in the region, its increased militarisation of Arctic territory in recent years, including investments in bases, air and coastal defence capabilities, and Arctic-capable equipment, is a cause for concern. Russia is steadily increasing its military presence and activity in the region, with notable increases in submarine activity in the North Atlantic. Although this activity does not breach international law, it poses challenges to the interests of the UK, NATO Allies, and partners, necessitating vigilance and preparedness. The UK remains committed to working closely with NATO Allies and partners to uphold shared security in the Arctic and High North. Efforts focus on strengthening deterrence through enhanced situational awareness, air and maritime activity, and collective defence planning. This commitment was underscored at the recent NATO Defence Ministerial Meeting, where Arctic security was a key theme. During the meeting, NATO’s Secretary General announced the launch of Arctic Sentry, a new enhanced vigilance activity aimed at synchronising national, bilateral, and multilateral efforts in the region under a unified approach. The UK is playing a leading role in these efforts, including the planned deployment of the Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, later this year.

Pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled ‘UK steps up defence of Arctic and High North from rising Russian threats,’ published on 11 February 2026, what assessment he has made of the severity of the security threat posed by Russian military activity in the Arctic and High North.

The Ministry of Defence continuously monitors Russia’s military posture in the Arctic and High North as part of routine defence intelligence and strategic assessments. While the UK and NATO recognise Russia’s status as an Arctic state with a legitimate presence in the region, its increased militarisation of Arctic territory in recent years, including investments in bases, air and coastal defence capabilities, and Arctic-capable equipment, is a cause for concern. Russia is steadily increasing its military presence and activity in the region, with notable increases in submarine activity in the North Atlantic. Although this activity does not breach international law, it poses challenges to the interests of the UK, NATO Allies, and partners, necessitating vigilance and preparedness. The UK remains committed to working closely with NATO Allies and partners to uphold shared security in the Arctic and High North. Efforts focus on strengthening deterrence through enhanced situational awareness, air and maritime activity, and collective defence planning. This commitment was underscored at the recent NATO Defence Ministerial Meeting, where Arctic security was a key theme. During the meeting, NATO’s Secretary General announced the launch of Arctic Sentry, a new enhanced vigilance activity aimed at synchronising national, bilateral, and multilateral efforts in the region under a unified approach. The UK is playing a leading role in these efforts, including the planned deployment of the Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, later this year.