Written questions by McMurdock.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation, published on 19 January 2026, what powers the new Water Ombudsman will have to require compensation payments to customers following service failures.

All customers of water and sewerage companies are entitled to guaranteed minimum standards of service, as set out by Government. These rights are known as the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS). Where a company fails to meet any of the standards, it is already required to make a specified payment to the affected household or business customer. However, to rebuild consumer trust in the sector, it is vital customers have assurance their complaints will be resolved. We will establish an independent, impartial and accredited Ombudsman which is approved and overseen by the regulator, in line with approaches used in other sectors. This will guarantee protections for customers by ensuring they can access legally binding resolutions when a water company has failed to resolve a customer complaint. Government has committed to publish a Transition Plan this year to lead the water sector through transformative reforms such as the new Water Ombudsman.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his Department's press release entitled Councils granted flexibility to finish reorganisation published on 22 January 2026, whether his Department sought any further information from (a) Basildon, (b) Thurrock, and (c) any other councils requesting election postponements.

I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s statement on 22 January 2026. Many councils gave the view that their elections should go ahead, and many asked us to consider postponing. Some councils did not seek postponement, and two did not provide sufficient evidence to support a postponement decision. Prior to reaching his decisions, the Secretary of State wrote to the leaders of Essex County Council, Norfolk County Council, Oxford City Council and Southampton City Council in relation to their position on 2026 local elections. These letters are published on gov.uk.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation, published on 19 January 2026, how her Department plans to monitor and report progress on private sector investment over the next five years.

Before 2029, the water industry will deliver a water infrastructure upgrade programme worth £104 billion. Upgrades will include 10 million new smart meters, progressing 9 new reservoirs, and delivering 3,000 storm overflow projects. This will require the highest level of private sector investment in the water sector since privatisation. The investment programme will drive economic growth, create jobs, and enable thousands of new homes. Ofwat, the independent economic regulator, monitors and reports on water company spending and financing through its annual performance report and its monitoring and financial resilience report. These documents are publicly available. The Government has set out its new vision for water through a White Paper published on 20 January 2026. The White Paper sets out once in a generation reforms that will transform the water system for good, with a renewed focus on securing a fair deal for customers, investors, and the environment, to rebuild trust and secure a water system that works for everyone.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his Department's press release entitled Councils granted flexibility to finish reorganisation published on 22 January 2026, how many councils had a request for postponing elections denied.

I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s statement on 22 January 2026. Many councils gave the view that their elections should go ahead, and many asked us to consider postponing. Some councils did not seek postponement, and two did not provide sufficient evidence to support a postponement decision. Prior to reaching his decisions, the Secretary of State wrote to the leaders of Essex County Council, Norfolk County Council, Oxford City Council and Southampton City Council in relation to their position on 2026 local elections. These letters are published on gov.uk.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his letter to council leaders whose elections he is seeking to postpone published on 22 January 2026, what assessment he has made of the administrative impact on councils of running town and parish elections while district or county-level authority elections are postponed.

Where a decision has been made to postpone local elections in an area, parish and town council elections will still be proceeding as planned, given they are outside of local government reorganisation.Councils will deliver the elections they are required to and the costs of town and parish council elections can be passed on to those town and parish councils.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with broadband providers on the adequacy of broadband (a) coverage and (b) speed in rural areas.

We recognise that reliable broadband underpins all aspects of modern life, including access to and modernisation of essential services.The government, in consultation with industry set targets for broadband coverage in the UK. The government is committed to achieving 99% gigabit coverage by 2032, ensuring fast, reliable and future-proofed connectivity will be available to support consumer and business needs, including in rural communities.Most gigabit-capable connections will be delivered commercially, so we are focusing government funds on the remaining areas of the country where commercial deployment is unlikely. Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, 89% of premises benefiting from Building Digital UK (BDUK) subsidies were rural.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that patients waiting in Accident and Emergency are adequately monitored.

The safety of patients waiting in accident and emergency is of the highest priority, and we have set out various measures in national guidance. There is a national target that patients receive an initial assessment within 15 minutes of arrival in accident and emergency. This assessment considers patient acuity, ensuring those that are most unwell and at greatest risk are identified and prioritised. Patients should be then observed at clinically appropriate intervals to identify any deterioration, with specific arrangements determined through local clinical decision making and governance.The National Health Service and the Department have taken significant steps forward to improve patient safety, including by implementing significant programmes under the NHS Patient Safety Strategy, published in 2019.We are also introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care. These are largely focused on the period after patients leave emergency departments, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, but also provide guidance on early assessment and monitoring of older people for frailty and delirium.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of measures for identifying the deterioration of patients' health in Accident and Emergency waiting rooms.

The safety of patients waiting in accident and emergency is of the highest priority, and we have set out various measures in national guidance. There is a national target that patients receive an initial assessment within 15 minutes of arrival in accident and emergency. This assessment considers patient acuity, ensuring those that are most unwell and at greatest risk are identified and prioritised. Patients should be then observed at clinically appropriate intervals to identify any deterioration, with specific arrangements determined through local clinical decision making and governance.The National Health Service and the Department have taken significant steps forward to improve patient safety, including by implementing significant programmes under the NHS Patient Safety Strategy, published in 2019.We are also introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care. These are largely focused on the period after patients leave emergency departments, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, but also provide guidance on early assessment and monitoring of older people for frailty and delirium.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to consider representations from councillors at (a) Thurrock and (b) Basildon councils on alleged procedural improprieties before he decides on cancelling those local elections.

The Secretary of State announced his decisions to the House on 22 January. We plan to bring forward legislation to postpone Thurrock Council’s 2026 elections. In reaching his decisions, the Secretary of State carefully considered all the representations made.

Communities and Local Government, when he plans to update (a) Basildon, (b) Thurrock and (c) other councils who have requested election postponements.

The Secretary of State announced his decisions to the House on 22 January. We plan to bring forward legislation to postpone Thurrock Council’s 2026 elections. In reaching his decisions, the Secretary of State carefully considered all the representations made.

Communities and Local Government, when he plans to lay Statutory Instruments for councils whose elections will be postponed.

The Secretary of State announced his decisions to the House on 22 January. We plan to bring forward legislation to postpone Thurrock Council’s 2026 elections. In reaching his decisions, the Secretary of State carefully considered all the representations made.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation, published on 19 January 2026, when she anticipates the new Water Ombudsman will become operational.

To rebuild consumer trust in the water sector, it is vital customers have assurance their complaints will be resolved. The Government will therefore establish an independent, impartial and accredited Ombudsman which is approved and overseen by the regulator, in line with approaches used in other sectors. We will establish the Ombudsman at the earliest opportunity. The Government will publish a Transition Plan later this year, setting out a roadmap to guide the sector from today’s system to the future model.

Pursuant to the press release entitled ‘Business Secretary backs British scaleups with growth package and red tape review’ published on 20 January 2026, whether his Department's £25 million investment into Kraken Technologies is expected to make a financial return.

These investments were made by the British Business Bank. The Bank’s investments in aggregate are expected to generate a financial return that exceeds the Government’s cost of borrowing. In the year ended March 2025, the Bank reported a profit of £144 million and a five-year average adjusted return on capital employed of 4.2%, against a target of 0.9%. There is no target or expectation for returns from individual investments, which can vary widely. For its commercial equity products, the Bank’s performance will be benchmarked against the median fund performance in the Venture Capital market.

What steps is he taking to help tackle the causes of negligence claims received by the NHS.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office report.Over recent years, the NHS and the Department have taken significant steps forward to address the rising costs of clinical negligence and to improve patient safety, including by implementing significant programmes under the NHS Patient Safety Strategy, published 2019. The strategy is now achieving its aim of saving an extra 1,000 lives per year and £100 million in care costs per year.In addition, the Government is committed to restoring urgent and emergency care waiting times to the standards set out in the NHS Constitution by the end of this Parliament, as laid out in out 10-Year Health Plan. 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 experience.

What steps he is taking to reduce risk of negligence in Accident and Emergency waiting rooms.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office report.Over recent years, the NHS and the Department have taken significant steps forward to address the rising costs of clinical negligence and to improve patient safety, including by implementing significant programmes under the NHS Patient Safety Strategy, published 2019. The strategy is now achieving its aim of saving an extra 1,000 lives per year and £100 million in care costs per year.In addition, the Government is committed to restoring urgent and emergency care waiting times to the standards set out in the NHS Constitution by the end of this Parliament, as laid out in out 10-Year Health Plan. 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 experience.

Pursuant to the press release entitled ‘Business Secretary backs British scaleups with growth package and red tape review’ published on 20 January 2026, what financial return his Department expects from the £50 million investment into Epidarex Capital and IQ Capital.

These investments were made by the British Business Bank. The Bank’s investments in aggregate are expected to generate a financial return that exceeds the Government’s cost of borrowing. In the year ended March 2025, the Bank reported a profit of £144 million and a five-year average adjusted return on capital employed of 4.2%, against a target of 0.9%. There is no target or expectation for returns from individual investments, which can vary widely. For its commercial equity products, the Bank’s performance will be benchmarked against the median fund performance in the Venture Capital market.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation, published on 19 January 2026, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of households experiencing water disruption each year which will be resolved as a result of her Water White Paper, once implemented.

The Government’s New Vision for Water sets out our plans to being forward measures specifically designed to improve the resilience of our water infrastructure and minimise disruption for customers. This includes providing the new, integrated water regulator with powers to conduct ‘no-notice’ inspections to bolster enforcement of the Security and Emergency Measures Direction which requires water companies to be prepared to respond to disruption to water supplies in the first place. In addition, a new Chief Engineer will be embedded in the new regulator to oversee company behaviour, and guide companies to focus on fixing crumbling pipes and treatment works, as part of stronger, prevention-first measures to mitigate future disruption. Where disruption occurs, the Government has already taken action to update the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, doubling – or more than doubling – compensation levels and adding new standards, to hold companies to account and stand up for customers.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation, published on 19 January 2026, what improvements to water infrastructure will be made in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency as a result of her Water White Paper.

The Government’s New Vision for Water sets out measures to bring forward a shift towards proactive maintenance of water company assets, and tougher oversight and stronger accountability for water companies to deliver. This includes providing the new, integrated water regulator with a new Chief Engineer and dedicated supervisory teams for each water company, which will guide companies to focus on fixing crumbling pipes and treatment works and increase grip over water company delivery. There are several improvements planned for water infrastructure in the Basildon and Thurrock areas, as part of £104 billion of investment across the country to fund essential infrastructure over five years. Further information on Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) actions for water companies to deliver within the 2025-2030 period is available for the public here: Price Review 2024 Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) App. This can be filtered to show the Basildon and Thurrock areas.

Pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Strategy to boost UK education abroad in major £40bn growth drive, published on 20 January 2026, what estimate her Department has made of the expected numbers of international students when targets are removed.

The new International Education Strategy has confirmed the government's continued commitment to welcome international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. They join one of the world’s most vibrant, diverse and inclusive learning communities, form lifelong friendships and professional networks, and earn qualifications respected around the globe. Higher education providers in the UK received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students and research and development. Future international student numbers are inherently uncertain. The international student market is highly competitive, and inflows depend on a range of factors, including recruitment strategies from international competitors, exchange rates and other economic variables. The International Education Strategy will continue to support the sustainable recruitment of high-quality international students to the UK’s world-class higher education institutions from a diverse range of countries.

Pursuant to the press release entitled £43 million boost for green aviation to drive growth, jobs and cleaner flights, published on 20 January 2026, what proportion of the UK's aviation emissions her Department estimates this investment will remove.

Through the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan, published on 29 October, the Government detailed policies in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fuels in aviation, and estimates of the emission reductions they would achieve. This package of funding will help to enable these emission reductions. The nature of research and development activity creates challenges in assessing the exact expected CO2 benefits at the outset, as these depend on the extent to which the outputs of research and new technologies are adopted into commercial use, and the pace at which this happens. Government seed funding is integral in supporting early-stage research and development for technologies which are not yet commercially viable but could be scaled in future.