Written questions by McMurdock.

With reference to her Department's press release entitled Boost for British business as government slashes cost of electric lorries by up to £120,000, published on 6 January 2026, what estimate her Department has made of how much (a) carbon dioxide and (b) other pollutants will be prevented from being released as a result of the announced grant for electric lorries.

As of September 2025, there were 1,313 battery-electric HGVs on UK roads (VEH1103): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-licensing-statistics-data-tables.The £18 million Plug-in Truck Grant Uplift announced on 6 January 2026, which runs until 31 March 2026, is estimated by the Department for Transport to support 195 battery-electric HGV sales. This equates to approximately 1.4% total HGV sales over January-March 2026. This is estimated to directly lead to 0.03MtCO2 emissions reductions over the zero emission (ZE) HGVs vehicles’ lifetime and is expected to support the acceleration of deployment of ZE HGVs in the UK, helping build a UK market for these vehicles which will increase their future adoption and help to deliver carbon budgets.Estimates of the impact of the grant on ZE HGV sales are uncertain and will depend on demand. The truck grant is only confirmed to continue until the end of March 2026 so it is not possible to share 2030 fleet projections at this stage. Grant rates for any future truck grant from April 2026 will be published in due course.

With to her Department's press release entitled Boost for British business as government slashes cost of electric lorries by up to £120,000, published on 6 January 2026, what estimate her Department has made of the number of lorries expected to be purchased using the announced grant by 2030.

As of September 2025, there were 1,313 battery-electric HGVs on UK roads (VEH1103): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-licensing-statistics-data-tables.The £18 million Plug-in Truck Grant Uplift announced on 6 January 2026, which runs until 31 March 2026, is estimated by the Department for Transport to support 195 battery-electric HGV sales. This equates to approximately 1.4% total HGV sales over January-March 2026. This is estimated to directly lead to 0.03MtCO2 emissions reductions over the zero emission (ZE) HGVs vehicles’ lifetime and is expected to support the acceleration of deployment of ZE HGVs in the UK, helping build a UK market for these vehicles which will increase their future adoption and help to deliver carbon budgets.Estimates of the impact of the grant on ZE HGV sales are uncertain and will depend on demand. The truck grant is only confirmed to continue until the end of March 2026 so it is not possible to share 2030 fleet projections at this stage. Grant rates for any future truck grant from April 2026 will be published in due course.

Pursuant to her Department's press release entitled Boost for British business as government slashes cost of electric lorries by up to £120,000, published on 6 January 2026, how many and what proportion of lorries registered in the UK are electric lorries; and what estimate she has made of the potential increase in that number as a result of the announced subsidy.

As of September 2025, there were 1,313 battery-electric HGVs on UK roads (VEH1103): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-licensing-statistics-data-tables.The £18 million Plug-in Truck Grant Uplift announced on 6 January 2026, which runs until 31 March 2026, is estimated by the Department for Transport to support 195 battery-electric HGV sales. This equates to approximately 1.4% total HGV sales over January-March 2026. This is estimated to directly lead to 0.03MtCO2 emissions reductions over the zero emission (ZE) HGVs vehicles’ lifetime and is expected to support the acceleration of deployment of ZE HGVs in the UK, helping build a UK market for these vehicles which will increase their future adoption and help to deliver carbon budgets.Estimates of the impact of the grant on ZE HGV sales are uncertain and will depend on demand. The truck grant is only confirmed to continue until the end of March 2026 so it is not possible to share 2030 fleet projections at this stage. Grant rates for any future truck grant from April 2026 will be published in due course.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of GP retention rates in (a) Basildon and (b) Thurrock.

Data on general practice joiner and leaver rates is only available centrally at the level of integrated care boards (ICBs).Between December 2024 and December 2025, 42 fully qualified general practitioners (GPs), or 6.7%, in the NHS Mid and South Essex ICB left practice. The figure was 49, or 7.7%, when including GPs who moved to a practice elsewhere in the country.The data is not comparable with the national average because of the inclusion of movers between ICBs, which are not captured in the national figure.Our commitment to growing the GP workforce includes addressing the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encouraging them to return to practice. Retention efforts in general practice focus on addressing workload pressures, offering career development opportunities, providing flexible working opportunities, and implementing supportive policies.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his letter to Essex County Council leader Kevin Bentley, dated 19 January 2026, whether he has received correspondence from (a) any Essex County Councillor and (b) any borough council in Essex requesting a postponement of the Essex County Council elections.

On 29 January 2026, the Secretary of State wrote to the Leader of Essex County Council to confirm that he would not be including the election to Essex County Council in legislation to postpone local elections. A copy of that letter was deposited in the House library. In reaching his decisions on 2026 elections, as set out to the House on 22 January 2026, the Secretary of State adopted a locally led approach and carefully considered all the representations made, including those from the Leader of Essex County Council and other councils in Essex.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his letter to Essex County Council leader Kevin Bentley dated 19 January 2026, if he will make it his policy that elections for Essex County Council will proceed as scheduled if Essex County Council does not explicitly request a postponement.

On 29 January 2026, the Secretary of State wrote to the Leader of Essex County Council to confirm that he would not be including the election to Essex County Council in legislation to postpone local elections. A copy of that letter was deposited in the House library. In reaching his decisions on 2026 elections, as set out to the House on 22 January 2026, the Secretary of State adopted a locally led approach and carefully considered all the representations made, including those from the Leader of Essex County Council and other councils in Essex.

What steps is he taking to help improve GP training pathways to support GP trainees to become qualified GPs.

Recent efforts have improved general practice (GP) specialty training, to enable GP registrars to become well equipped and highly skilled and qualified GPs.Following the publication of the Training the Future GP report, teams from NHS England have taken substantial steps to put the recommendations into practice. The report is available at the following link:https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/TrainingTheFutureGP_2.pdfReforms include enabling more innovative and flexible models of training, such as offering a wide variety of integrated training placements, including those in the community, mental health, prisons, academia, and structured learning placements. The balance of time spent in practice has been increased to 24 months of the three-year training programme, which has enabled trainees to form stronger relationships within placements.GP specialty training has expanded from 2,671 places accepted in 2014 to 4,250 places accepted in 2025/26. As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, the expansion of GP specialty training will continue to be implemented through an increase of available training places each year, to increase GP capacity so that patients can have an improved experience of accessing care.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of Private Finance Initiative arrangements on the future of healthcare provision in (a) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency and (b) mid and south Essex.

The Department is supporting National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority to develop the new Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs). The new NHC PPP model will build on lessons from the past including the National Audit Office’s 2025 report on private finance and other models currently in use, which is available at the following link:https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/lessons-learned-private-finance-for-infrastructure.pdfThe new PPP model is about delivering the infrastructure to support the delivery of neighbourhood services, and we are not using the private sector to deliver the National Health Service clinical services that will be delivered from these centres.The need for NHCs will be locally driven and will recognise what already exists and where additional provision or a new combination of services is needed. Funding of these NHCs under any new PPP model will need to demonstrate value for money and affordability.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of equalising financial allowances between foster carers and kinship carers.

The department will soon begin to trial a new Kinship Allowance in a number of local authorities. Funding for this was announced at the Autumn Budget 2024.The pilot will provide all those caring for a child in a kinship arrangement with a Special Guardianship Order or a ‘lives with’ Child Arrangement Order, where the child would have otherwise been in care, an allowance paid at the same rate as foster care, in the pilot local authorities.This will support approximately 4,500 kinship children and help equalise the financial allowance between foster carers and kinship carers.

What recent steps his Department have taken to improve the health outcomes for patients being treated with kidney disease.

NHS England has established a renal Clinical Reference Group to deliver change across the NHS to accelerate improvements in diagnosis and treatment for people living with kidney disease. NHS England’s regional renal clinical networks, of which there are eight commissioned across England, have established workstreams. These workstreams work with commissioned providers to develop transformation programmes, to reduce the number of patients progressing through the stages of chronic kidney disease, supporting improved patient outcomes.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the level of mental health support available for people with kidney disease.

The Government has already taken significant steps to stabilise and improve mental health services within the National Health Service but there is much more to do. NHS Talking Therapies - Long Term Conditions services have been established across the country to support integrated pathways between Talking Therapies services and physical health pathways for people with long term conditions, including kidney disease.As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we are expanding NHS Talking Therapies so that 915,000 people complete a course of treatment by March 2029, with improved effectiveness and quality of services.Mental health and psychosocial support for people living with kidney disease is a key priority within NHS England’s programme to improve renal care. The Renal Service Transformation Programme (RSTP), published in 2023, provides a national framework for raising standards across the renal pathway, including a strengthened focus on supporting the emotional and psychological needs of patients. Renal clinical networks are working with a stakeholders, i.e. professional societies and renal charities, to support implementation of the RSTP. NHS England is revising the specialised renal service specification to ensure alignment with the RSTP and to support commissioning across the full renal pathway. Published renal service specifications already set expectations for providers to address the psychosocial needs of people with kidney disease. The revised specification reinforces this requirement and strengthens the overall direction for services to deliver holistic, person-centred care that recognises the importance of psychosocial support throughout the renal journey.

Whether he has met with Kidney Research UK campaigners to discuss potential improvements for the treatment of kidney disease.

The Department and NHS England regularly engage with Kidney Research UK and other experts to consider potential improvements around prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of kidney disease.

What recent steps his Department have taken to help encourage earlier diagnosis of kidney disease.

NHS England has established a renal Clinical Reference Group to deliver change across the NHS to accelerate improvements in diagnosis and treatment for people living with kidney disease. NHS England’s regional renal clinical networks, of which there are eight commissioned across England, have established workstreams. These workstreams work with commissioned providers to develop transformation programmes, to reduce the number of patients progressing through the stages of chronic kidney disease, supporting improved patient outcomes.

What recent steps his Department have taken to ensure that renal treatment service providers (a) train, support and supervise all staff to identify patients’ psychosocial needs, (b) work in psychologically‑informed ways, and (c) provide low‑level support with rapid onward referral where more intensive intervention is required.

The Government has already taken significant steps to stabilise and improve mental health services within the National Health Service but there is much more to do. NHS Talking Therapies - Long Term Conditions services have been established across the country to support integrated pathways between Talking Therapies services and physical health pathways for people with long term conditions, including kidney disease.As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we are expanding NHS Talking Therapies so that 915,000 people complete a course of treatment by March 2029, with improved effectiveness and quality of services.Mental health and psychosocial support for people living with kidney disease is a key priority within NHS England’s programme to improve renal care. The Renal Service Transformation Programme (RSTP), published in 2023, provides a national framework for raising standards across the renal pathway, including a strengthened focus on supporting the emotional and psychological needs of patients. Renal clinical networks are working with a stakeholders, i.e. professional societies and renal charities, to support implementation of the RSTP. NHS England is revising the specialised renal service specification to ensure alignment with the RSTP and to support commissioning across the full renal pathway. Published renal service specifications already set expectations for providers to address the psychosocial needs of people with kidney disease. The revised specification reinforces this requirement and strengthens the overall direction for services to deliver holistic, person-centred care that recognises the importance of psychosocial support throughout the renal journey.

What research his Department has conducted on the potential impact of kidney disease on mental health.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including the potential impact of kidney disease on mental health.These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on the impact of kidney disease on mental health to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.In the past five financial years, the NIHR has allocated £2.051 million in new direct research funding to six projects related to kidney disease, in which the psychosocial aspects of living with or undergoing treatment or testing for kidney disease were addressed as part of the research.Details of NIHR funding allocated to individual research awards are openly published and updated quarterly on the ‘Open Data’ site of the NIHR website, at the following link:https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/explore/

What funding his Department has allocated towards researching the impact of kidney disease on mental health.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including the potential impact of kidney disease on mental health.These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on the impact of kidney disease on mental health to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.In the past five financial years, the NIHR has allocated £2.051 million in new direct research funding to six projects related to kidney disease, in which the psychosocial aspects of living with or undergoing treatment or testing for kidney disease were addressed as part of the research.Details of NIHR funding allocated to individual research awards are openly published and updated quarterly on the ‘Open Data’ site of the NIHR website, at the following link:https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/explore/

Whether she has met with representatives of Kinship's #ValueOurLove campaign to discuss potential reforms to the kinship care system.

The government recognises the important role that kinship carers play in caring for some of the most vulnerable children. The government is determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve, and kinship carers play a crucial role in delivering this. Departmental officials and I regularly engage with the charity Kinship as well as other key sector stakeholders to discuss and consult on ongoing and future reforms to the kinship care system.

Pursuant to Answer of 12 January 2026 to Question 102638, what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions for individuals convicted of immigration-related offences.

The Ministry of Justice has not made an assessment of the cost effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions for individuals convicted of immigration-related offences. Rehabilitation pathways (including for this cohort) are determined by an individual’s assessed risk and needs, ensuring interventions are targeted and proportionate. Reoffending more broadly imposes a significant financial burden on the public, costing an estimated £22.7 billion per year (adjusted to 2024/25 prices). Our rehabilitative interventions are delivered in line with the evidence base which suggests that employment and education programmes and substance misuse treatment can reduce the risk of reoffending. For example, offenders who leave custody into employment are up to 9 percentage points less likely to reoffend, and a similar percentage reduction in reoffending for those who have engaged in any form of in-prison education. Similarly, an MoJ experimental statistical report found a 19-percentage point reduction in the 2-year rate of reoffending for offenders who successfully completed treatment compared to those who dropped out.

How many alerts were triggered by alcohol monitoring tags in December 2024; and what proportion of those alerts resulted in enforcement action, including recall to prison and return to court.

The Department keeps the use of alcohol monitoring under review and has commissioned a programme of evaluations to assess impact on compliance and reoffending. For community sentences, compliance with court‑imposed alcohol bans is high. Published statistics show a compliance rate with the ban of over 97% for days monitored, since introduction, as shown here: Electronic Monitoring MI Publication, June 2025 - GOV.UK.For post‑custody use, we published the Alcohol Monitoring on Licence (AML) process and interim impact evaluation in October 2025, linked here: Alcohol monitoring on licence: process and interim impact evaluation - GOV.UK.Enforcement decisions are recorded within individual probation case management records and are taken on a case‑by‑case basis by supervising practitioners. To collate this locally held information could only be done at a disproportionate cost. Non‑compliance can lead to proportionate enforcement ranging from further engagement with the person on probation through formal warnings and breach action, up to recall where risk or persistent non‑compliance warrants it.We publish regular Alcohol Monitoring Statistics. The latest publication sets out statistics on AAMR orders and the use of AML orders from 31 July 2025 to 30 November 2025 and can be found here: Ad-Hoc Alcohol Monitoring Statistics Publication, Dec 2025 - GOV.UK.

What proportion of attempted re-entries are successfully detected under the reciprocal agreement with France.

Two individuals who had previously been returned from the UK to France under the reciprocal exchange agreement attempted to re-enter. They were detected, detained, and their cases expedited for return. We are not aware of any other attempts to re-enter the UK from those returned to France under the scheme.We continue to work closely with our French counterparts to ensure that those who are returned under the agreement do not re-enter the UK illegally.