Written questions by McMurdock.

Food and Rural Affairs, what enforcement mechanisms will be used to ensure compliance with the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 once the Activity Regulations are in force.

The Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad. The Act grants enforcement powers to Trading Standards in England and the Department for the Economy for Northern Ireland to monitor compliance of future regulations. It is important that any regulations are effective and work in practice, and as set out in the animal welfare strategy published in December 2025, we are continuing to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to stop the advertising of low-welfare animal activities abroad and will be setting out next steps in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether independent evaluations of the Chevening programme have been commissioned in the last ten years.

For more than forty years since its establishment under Margaret Thatcher's government, the Chevening Programme has been creating long-lasting relationships with future generations of leaders, decision makers and businesspeople from across the globe. Information about funding and impact is available on the Development Tracker website (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/programme/GB-GOV-3-CHEVENING/summary) and in the most recent Chevening Annual Impact Report (https://www.chevening.org/impact/chevenings-2023-2024-annual-impact-report/). Chevening's 60,000 alumni community includes 22 current or former heads of state or government while around 15 per cent of alumni hold prominent positions in government and 10 are currently serving as Ambassadors/High Commissioners in the UK. Most have maintained close links with the UK and our overseas network, helping strengthen long term bilateral relationships, supporting the UK's international priorities, delivering trade deals and unlocking access to key stakeholders.In the financial year 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) allocated £59.4 million to Chevening of which 97 per cent (£57.7 million) was defined as development spend. Further budget information, including on aid spending, is published in FCDO's Annual Reports and Accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025). Information on previous years is also available on the GOV.UK website. No decision has been made as yet on the future budget allocation for the Chevening scholarships programme.In the last 5 years, FCDO has awarded the following numbers of scholarships:Year2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21No. of Scholarships1,4011,3321,3591,3961,630We work closely with the Home Office on issues related to visas and migration. Scholars all agree to Chevening's return home policy when they apply for the scheme.An independent evaluation of the FCDO's scholarships programmes was carried out in 2023. Further details of this review including a copy of the UK Government's response to the review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-public-body-review-of-fcdo-funded-scholarship-schemes-uk-government-response.190 Chevening scholars have studied at the University of Essex over the last 10 years.In 2025/26 the top 3 Universities in terms of enrolment were London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London and the University of Sussex.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the value for money for UK taxpayers provided by the Chevening Scholarships and Fellowships programme.

For more than forty years since its establishment under Margaret Thatcher's government, the Chevening Programme has been creating long-lasting relationships with future generations of leaders, decision makers and businesspeople from across the globe. Information about funding and impact is available on the Development Tracker website (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/programme/GB-GOV-3-CHEVENING/summary) and in the most recent Chevening Annual Impact Report (https://www.chevening.org/impact/chevenings-2023-2024-annual-impact-report/). Chevening's 60,000 alumni community includes 22 current or former heads of state or government while around 15 per cent of alumni hold prominent positions in government and 10 are currently serving as Ambassadors/High Commissioners in the UK. Most have maintained close links with the UK and our overseas network, helping strengthen long term bilateral relationships, supporting the UK's international priorities, delivering trade deals and unlocking access to key stakeholders.In the financial year 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) allocated £59.4 million to Chevening of which 97 per cent (£57.7 million) was defined as development spend. Further budget information, including on aid spending, is published in FCDO's Annual Reports and Accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025). Information on previous years is also available on the GOV.UK website. No decision has been made as yet on the future budget allocation for the Chevening scholarships programme.In the last 5 years, FCDO has awarded the following numbers of scholarships:Year2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21No. of Scholarships1,4011,3321,3591,3961,630We work closely with the Home Office on issues related to visas and migration. Scholars all agree to Chevening's return home policy when they apply for the scheme.An independent evaluation of the FCDO's scholarships programmes was carried out in 2023. Further details of this review including a copy of the UK Government's response to the review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-public-body-review-of-fcdo-funded-scholarship-schemes-uk-government-response.190 Chevening scholars have studied at the University of Essex over the last 10 years.In 2025/26 the top 3 Universities in terms of enrolment were London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London and the University of Sussex.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on the proportion of people who were awarded the Chevening Scholarships and Fellowships programme and went on to work as (a) government officials and (b) industry leaders in their home countries.

For more than forty years since its establishment under Margaret Thatcher's government, the Chevening Programme has been creating long-lasting relationships with future generations of leaders, decision makers and businesspeople from across the globe. Information about funding and impact is available on the Development Tracker website (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/programme/GB-GOV-3-CHEVENING/summary) and in the most recent Chevening Annual Impact Report (https://www.chevening.org/impact/chevenings-2023-2024-annual-impact-report/). Chevening's 60,000 alumni community includes 22 current or former heads of state or government while around 15 per cent of alumni hold prominent positions in government and 10 are currently serving as Ambassadors/High Commissioners in the UK. Most have maintained close links with the UK and our overseas network, helping strengthen long term bilateral relationships, supporting the UK's international priorities, delivering trade deals and unlocking access to key stakeholders.In the financial year 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) allocated £59.4 million to Chevening of which 97 per cent (£57.7 million) was defined as development spend. Further budget information, including on aid spending, is published in FCDO's Annual Reports and Accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025). Information on previous years is also available on the GOV.UK website. No decision has been made as yet on the future budget allocation for the Chevening scholarships programme.In the last 5 years, FCDO has awarded the following numbers of scholarships:Year2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21No. of Scholarships1,4011,3321,3591,3961,630We work closely with the Home Office on issues related to visas and migration. Scholars all agree to Chevening's return home policy when they apply for the scheme.An independent evaluation of the FCDO's scholarships programmes was carried out in 2023. Further details of this review including a copy of the UK Government's response to the review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-public-body-review-of-fcdo-funded-scholarship-schemes-uk-government-response.190 Chevening scholars have studied at the University of Essex over the last 10 years.In 2025/26 the top 3 Universities in terms of enrolment were London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London and the University of Sussex.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of Chevening Scholarship and Fellowship recipients who have studied at Universities in Essex in the last 10 years.

For more than forty years since its establishment under Margaret Thatcher's government, the Chevening Programme has been creating long-lasting relationships with future generations of leaders, decision makers and businesspeople from across the globe. Information about funding and impact is available on the Development Tracker website (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/programme/GB-GOV-3-CHEVENING/summary) and in the most recent Chevening Annual Impact Report (https://www.chevening.org/impact/chevenings-2023-2024-annual-impact-report/). Chevening's 60,000 alumni community includes 22 current or former heads of state or government while around 15 per cent of alumni hold prominent positions in government and 10 are currently serving as Ambassadors/High Commissioners in the UK. Most have maintained close links with the UK and our overseas network, helping strengthen long term bilateral relationships, supporting the UK's international priorities, delivering trade deals and unlocking access to key stakeholders.In the financial year 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) allocated £59.4 million to Chevening of which 97 per cent (£57.7 million) was defined as development spend. Further budget information, including on aid spending, is published in FCDO's Annual Reports and Accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025). Information on previous years is also available on the GOV.UK website. No decision has been made as yet on the future budget allocation for the Chevening scholarships programme.In the last 5 years, FCDO has awarded the following numbers of scholarships:Year2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21No. of Scholarships1,4011,3321,3591,3961,630We work closely with the Home Office on issues related to visas and migration. Scholars all agree to Chevening's return home policy when they apply for the scheme.An independent evaluation of the FCDO's scholarships programmes was carried out in 2023. Further details of this review including a copy of the UK Government's response to the review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-public-body-review-of-fcdo-funded-scholarship-schemes-uk-government-response.190 Chevening scholars have studied at the University of Essex over the last 10 years.In 2025/26 the top 3 Universities in terms of enrolment were London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London and the University of Sussex.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer given to Question UIN 106227 on 9 February 2026, what assessment he has made of whether the cost of restructuring councils is an indicator of the cost effectiveness of providing public services in (a) unitary and (b) two-tier councils.

The Government recognises that restructuring will involve some upfront costs, but experience from previous reorganisations shows that creating strong, sustainable unitary councils delivers long‑term savings and efficiencies. By reducing duplication, cutting waste and saving back‑office money, unitarisation enables councils to reinvest resources into frontline public services, meaning better outcomes for local residents and better value for money for taxpayers. Exact costs and savings will vary depending on the area and the final decisions on which proposals, if any, are implemented.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of motorcycle paramedic responders in reducing ambulance response times in congested urban areas.

The combination of response vehicles and staff that make up an ambulance service’s emergency response, including double-crewed ambulances, rapid response vehicles, community first responders, and motorcycle and bicycle paramedic responders, is an operational matter determined by individual ambulance trusts according to their local population needs and geographic considerations.NHS England has not made an assessment of the impact of motorcycle paramedic responders on response times, patient clinical outcomes, or training and deployment costs, although this information may be held locally by individual ambulance services.It is noted that whilst motorcycle paramedics and other rapid responders may be able to reach patients quickly in congested and high traffic areas and provide assessment and treatment, in many cases patients will require subsequent on-scene assessment, treatment, and/or conveyance by an ambulance crew.NHS England routinely publishes data on ambulance performance, including ambulance response times, alongside ambulance clinical outcome metrics at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

What assessment he has made of the impact of motorcycle paramedic responders on patient survival rates.

The combination of response vehicles and staff that make up an ambulance service’s emergency response, including double-crewed ambulances, rapid response vehicles, community first responders, and motorcycle and bicycle paramedic responders, is an operational matter determined by individual ambulance trusts according to their local population needs and geographic considerations.NHS England has not made an assessment of the impact of motorcycle paramedic responders on response times, patient clinical outcomes, or training and deployment costs, although this information may be held locally by individual ambulance services.It is noted that whilst motorcycle paramedics and other rapid responders may be able to reach patients quickly in congested and high traffic areas and provide assessment and treatment, in many cases patients will require subsequent on-scene assessment, treatment, and/or conveyance by an ambulance crew.NHS England routinely publishes data on ambulance performance, including ambulance response times, alongside ambulance clinical outcome metrics at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

What data his Department holds on response times for motorcycle paramedic responders versus standard ambulance crews in high-traffic areas.

The combination of response vehicles and staff that make up an ambulance service’s emergency response, including double-crewed ambulances, rapid response vehicles, community first responders, and motorcycle and bicycle paramedic responders, is an operational matter determined by individual ambulance trusts according to their local population needs and geographic considerations.NHS England has not made an assessment of the impact of motorcycle paramedic responders on response times, patient clinical outcomes, or training and deployment costs, although this information may be held locally by individual ambulance services.It is noted that whilst motorcycle paramedics and other rapid responders may be able to reach patients quickly in congested and high traffic areas and provide assessment and treatment, in many cases patients will require subsequent on-scene assessment, treatment, and/or conveyance by an ambulance crew.NHS England routinely publishes data on ambulance performance, including ambulance response times, alongside ambulance clinical outcome metrics at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

What estimate he has made of the cost per responder of training and deploying motorcycle paramedics compared with standard ambulance crews.

The combination of response vehicles and staff that make up an ambulance service’s emergency response, including double-crewed ambulances, rapid response vehicles, community first responders, and motorcycle and bicycle paramedic responders, is an operational matter determined by individual ambulance trusts according to their local population needs and geographic considerations.NHS England has not made an assessment of the impact of motorcycle paramedic responders on response times, patient clinical outcomes, or training and deployment costs, although this information may be held locally by individual ambulance services.It is noted that whilst motorcycle paramedics and other rapid responders may be able to reach patients quickly in congested and high traffic areas and provide assessment and treatment, in many cases patients will require subsequent on-scene assessment, treatment, and/or conveyance by an ambulance crew.NHS England routinely publishes data on ambulance performance, including ambulance response times, alongside ambulance clinical outcome metrics at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

What steps he is taking to reduce the prevalence of poor lung health.

The Government has committed to delivering three big shifts that our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the country. Through our community diagnostic centres we are building capacity for respiratory testing and enabling people to get diagnosed closer to home. 101 community diagnostic centres across the country now offer out of hours services, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning patients can access vital diagnostic tests around busy working lives. This is alongside action being taken to expand capacity and improve the quality of pulmonary rehabilitation services to support patients living with respiratory conditions.We are also taking action to reduce the causes of respiratory conditions such as enabling a smoke free generation and cross-Government action to improve air quality.

What steps the Government is taking to ensure businesses in Essex are aware of, and have access to, UK- Export Finance support.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) has a network of Export Finance Managers (EFMs) around the whole country who are valuable points of contact for local businesses and can provide information on the range of support available. Contact details for the Essex EFM, and others can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/find-an-export-finance-manager. On 26 January, UKEF announced an £11 billion lending package from five high street banks to support small businesses’ growth. Alongside funding, businesses will also benefit from advisory support through banks’ relationship managers and the EFMs. We do not hold details of the proportion of exporters supported at constituency or county level. Full details of the businesses supported by UKEF each year are published online at: UK Export Finance: business supported - GOV.UK. The support that UKEF provides extends beyond its immediate customers. Recently published research by Oxford Economics (available online at: UK exporters boost economy, as new study reveals major impact of export credit on UK industry - GOV.UK) shows that there are 115,000 businesses in the supply chains of businesses directly supported by UKEF.

What proportion of UK Export Finance-supported exporters are based in (a) the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, and (b) Essex.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) has a network of Export Finance Managers (EFMs) around the whole country who are valuable points of contact for local businesses and can provide information on the range of support available. Contact details for the Essex EFM, and others can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/find-an-export-finance-manager. On 26 January, UKEF announced an £11 billion lending package from five high street banks to support small businesses’ growth. Alongside funding, businesses will also benefit from advisory support through banks’ relationship managers and the EFMs. We do not hold details of the proportion of exporters supported at constituency or county level. Full details of the businesses supported by UKEF each year are published online at: UK Export Finance: business supported - GOV.UK. The support that UKEF provides extends beyond its immediate customers. Recently published research by Oxford Economics (available online at: UK exporters boost economy, as new study reveals major impact of export credit on UK industry - GOV.UK) shows that there are 115,000 businesses in the supply chains of businesses directly supported by UKEF.

How many UK businesses are estimated to be part of the supply chains supported by UK Export Finance customers; and what plans the Government has to increase export-linked supply chain activity.

The recently published report by Oxford Economics, Analysing UKEF-Supported Supply Chains (which is available online at: Research and Analysis: Analysing UKEF-supported supply chains - GOV.UK), shows that exporters in UK Export Finance’s (UKEF’s) direct customer base support a further 115,000 businesses in supply chains throughout the whole of the UK.The government’s ambitious Industrial and Trade Strategies, published last year, set out the government’s plans to support the UK’s supply chains.Legislation is currently before the House to increase UKEF’s statutory commitment limit.UKEF is also working with the Department for Business and Trade to ensure that businesses understand how UKEF can support them in taking advantage of new free trade agreements as they are agreed.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Act now: 864,000 sole traders and landlords face new tax rules in two months, published on 5 February 2026, what analysis has been conducted on the potential costs to small businesses of the transition to digital tax reporting under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.

HMRC has been accepting applications for exemption from Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax since 29 September 2025. As of 31 January 2026, we have received 1,271 applications for exemption from MTD for Income Tax on the grounds of digital exclusion. As of 31 January 2026, decisions had been made on 881 applications, with 661 granted exemptions from the MTD for Income Tax requirements. HMRC has assessed the potential impact of MTD for Income Tax the potential impact of MTD for Income Tax on compliance costs and administrative requirements across different customer groups, including self-employed individuals, small businesses, and landlords. The latest published assessment is available at: Extension of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment to sole traders and landlords - GOV.UK Equalities are also considered as part of this impacting. The government is clear that where a taxpayer cannot use MTD for Income Tax, for example due to age or disability, they can apply for exemption from the MTD requirements.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Clean energy upgrades for hospitals and military sites, published on 5 February 2026, whether (a) Basildon hospital and (b) any hospitals in Essex will receive funding to improve energy efficiency.

Basildon Hospital will receive £246,460 of funding for LED lighting energy efficiency upgrades. Other sites from the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust to receive funding for LED lighting energy efficiency upgrades are: Braintree Community Hospital - £130,680Broomfield Hospital - £1,976,876Orsett Hospital - £330,532Southend Hospital - £620,965St Michael's Hospital – £354,777 Colchester Hospital is also receiving £137,940 for solar PV and is part of the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust.

What proportion of graduates supported by Jobcentre Plus enter roles classified as graduate-level employment.

We do not capture data on the number of graduates entering graduate schemes or graduate-level employment. The latest published DfE data shows that the unemployment rate for graduates is lower than non-graduates. A link to this data can be found here.(opens in a new tab)

With reference to her Department's news story, Government leads global fight against deepfake threats, published on 5 February 2026, is she will publish an evaluation of the deepfake detection framework.

The evaluation framework is a security‑sensitive tool designed to support government and law enforcement in protecting the public from synthetic media threats. Publishing the framework would risk revealing information that could be exploited by adversaries to bypass or undermine defensive measures. For this reason, the framework will not be published.

With reference to her Department's news story, Government leads global fight against deepfake threats, published on 5 February 2026, whether she plans to repeat the Deepfake Detection Challenge to continue testing the technical challenges of deepfake detection and identifying opportunities.

The Deepfake Detection Challenge has enabled extensive engagement across government policy teams, operational users, and the wider national security community to understand current and emerging threats. The Government will continue to evaluate deepfake detection capabilities to ensure tools remain effective against emerging techniques, and operational users have up-to-date information for procurement decisions.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Clean energy upgrades for hospitals and military sites, published on 5 February 2026, whether any of the funding for new batteries and solar panels will go to (a) Basildon hospital and (b) other hospitals in Essex.

Basildon Hospital was not one of the hospitals to receive funding for batteries or solar PV as part of the announcement on 5 February 2026. However, it did receive £246,460 of funding for LED lighting energy efficiency upgrades. As for other hospitals in Essex, Colchester Hospital received £137,940 for solar PV as part of the announcement.