Written questions by McMurdock.

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.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS trusts in responding to Patient Advice and Liaison Service enquiries within required timeframes.

We have not made an assessment of the adequacy of National Health Service trusts in responding to Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) enquiries. Generally, there are no required national timeframes for responding to enquiries made to PALS. However, if they are responding to complaints raised under the formal NHS complaints process, they must follow the requirements in The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009. The regulations require NHS organisations to notify complainants about the timeframe in which the investigation of their complaint is likely to be completed and investigate and resolve formal NHS complaints speedily and efficiently.

What steps he is taking to support NHS trusts to help tackle the root causes of recurring complaints.

The National Health Service should listen to, learn from, and act on issues that are raised in complaints to ensure services continually improve and that when things go wrong, problems are addressed and not repeated.To support good complaint handling, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s NHS Complaint Standards and accompanying guidance set out how organisations providing services in the NHS should approach complaint handling, including the promotion of a learning culture that identifies and addresses recurring themes and issues.We recognise that more needs to be done and through implementation of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will reform the NHS complaints process and strengthen the patient voice by setting clear standards for the quality of responses to complaints and to ensure the NHS listens carefully and compassionately, taking forward learnings to ensure high quality care. We will also increase the use of artificial intelligence tools to ensure complaints data is collected, and responded to, far more quickly.

With reference 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 changes there have been in Russian military deployments in the Arctic region since the most recent invasion of Ukraine.

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.

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.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how the Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme encourages refugees to return to Syria and other countries of origin.

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme in preventing onward migration to (a) Europe and (b) the UK.

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to her Department’s ‘Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey,’ programme, what assessment she has made of the cost-effectiveness of the funding spent on this programme so far.

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme at supporting the survival of refugees in that country.

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of staffing levels on the volume of complaints received by NHS trusts.

No assessment has been made. The responsibility for staffing levels is with clinical and other leaders at a local level, responding to local needs, supported by guidelines by national and professional bodies and overseen and regulated in England by the Care Quality Commission.Providers of National Health Services should have a systematic approach to determine and review the number of staff and range of skills needed to meet the needs of people using their services and keep them safe at all times. This includes taking into account feedback and complaints data to inform staffing decisions and improve services.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme does not act as a pull factor encouraging further migration to that country.

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to her Department’s Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme, what discussions she has had with the Turkish government regarding the effectiveness of this programme.

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to her Department’s Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme, what the purpose was of the transaction made to Royal Residence for £7,484 dated 25 September 2024 with the IATI Activity ID of GB-GOV-1-400052-406.

The Government is working with Turkey to help it manage the challenges of hosting approximately 2.3 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled conflict and persecution in Syria. The February 2023 earthquakes near the Turkish-Syrian border had a devastating impact on refugee communities, killing thousands and destroying much of the temporary accommodation in which they had been staying.The Building Refugee Resilience and Inclusion in Turkey programme helps to ensure refugees receive humanitarian assistance, decent livelihoods and education, and aims to prevent onward movement into Western Europe. The programme also helps Syrian refugees make informed decisions about voluntarily returning to their own country when conditions allow.Proposed programme activities are assessed in advance for the impact they will have in meeting the UK's development partnership objectives and for their cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Official Development Assistance programmes are evaluated on an ongoing basis for their performance against their agreed objectives and for their delivery on time and on budget. The programme undergoes regular monitoring and is rigorously reviewed annually to assess performance against its targets and objectives.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the regulation of travel companies advertising overseas animal tourism activities that involve low welfare standards.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on a range of issues. As set out in the animal welfare strategy, published in December 2025, we are continuing to engage with stakeholders to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to stop the advertising of low-welfare animal activities abroad.

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.

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, what the annual budget is for the Chevening Scholarships and Fellowships programme; and how this compares with the previous five years’ budgets.

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.