Written questions by McMurdock.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of a) enhanced lighting and b) CCTV at lorry parks on levels of freight crime.

The Department has not assessed the impact of secure lorry parking or enhanced lighting and CCTV at lorry parks on levels of freight crime. The 2022 survey of HGV parking in England identified a lack of security measures and secure parking as a priority for drivers. This informed the design of the Lorry Parking and Driver Welfare Match Funding Grant Scheme which included funding for security measures such as enhanced lighting and CCTV. A new National Lorry Parking Survey is currently underway to provide up to date evidence on the availability, security and quality of lorry parking in England and by region. Transport Focus published a survey of HGV drivers in December 2025 which found that visible security measures are a priority for drivers and support both vehicle security and driver welfare. Crime recording is a matter for the Home Office. Police‑recorded crime data does not separately identify freight crime or its location, therefore no assessment can be done on the number of incidents at secure lorry parks or analysis of trends over time. However, a Home Office pilot of a flag to improve the identification of freight‑related offences is underway with a small number of police forces. The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), publish data on HGV and cargo related crime notifications received from police forces and members as follows: YearNo. of Offences20204,46820214,44820225,10320235,37020244,879 DfT officials have worked with NaVCIS to identify areas of high HGV and cargo related crimes. This unpublished analysis is supporting future policy development.

What proportion of freight crimes reported in the last 12 months occurred at secure lorry parks.

The Department has not assessed the impact of secure lorry parking or enhanced lighting and CCTV at lorry parks on levels of freight crime. The 2022 survey of HGV parking in England identified a lack of security measures and secure parking as a priority for drivers. This informed the design of the Lorry Parking and Driver Welfare Match Funding Grant Scheme which included funding for security measures such as enhanced lighting and CCTV. A new National Lorry Parking Survey is currently underway to provide up to date evidence on the availability, security and quality of lorry parking in England and by region. Transport Focus published a survey of HGV drivers in December 2025 which found that visible security measures are a priority for drivers and support both vehicle security and driver welfare. Crime recording is a matter for the Home Office. Police‑recorded crime data does not separately identify freight crime or its location, therefore no assessment can be done on the number of incidents at secure lorry parks or analysis of trends over time. However, a Home Office pilot of a flag to improve the identification of freight‑related offences is underway with a small number of police forces. The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), publish data on HGV and cargo related crime notifications received from police forces and members as follows: YearNo. of Offences20204,46820214,44820225,10320235,37020244,879 DfT officials have worked with NaVCIS to identify areas of high HGV and cargo related crimes. This unpublished analysis is supporting future policy development.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of freight crime over the last five years.

The Department has not assessed the impact of secure lorry parking or enhanced lighting and CCTV at lorry parks on levels of freight crime. The 2022 survey of HGV parking in England identified a lack of security measures and secure parking as a priority for drivers. This informed the design of the Lorry Parking and Driver Welfare Match Funding Grant Scheme which included funding for security measures such as enhanced lighting and CCTV. A new National Lorry Parking Survey is currently underway to provide up to date evidence on the availability, security and quality of lorry parking in England and by region. Transport Focus published a survey of HGV drivers in December 2025 which found that visible security measures are a priority for drivers and support both vehicle security and driver welfare. Crime recording is a matter for the Home Office. Police‑recorded crime data does not separately identify freight crime or its location, therefore no assessment can be done on the number of incidents at secure lorry parks or analysis of trends over time. However, a Home Office pilot of a flag to improve the identification of freight‑related offences is underway with a small number of police forces. The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), publish data on HGV and cargo related crime notifications received from police forces and members as follows: YearNo. of Offences20204,46820214,44820225,10320235,37020244,879 DfT officials have worked with NaVCIS to identify areas of high HGV and cargo related crimes. This unpublished analysis is supporting future policy development.

What recent data her Department holds on levels of freight crime affecting HGV drivers.

The Department has not assessed the impact of secure lorry parking or enhanced lighting and CCTV at lorry parks on levels of freight crime. The 2022 survey of HGV parking in England identified a lack of security measures and secure parking as a priority for drivers. This informed the design of the Lorry Parking and Driver Welfare Match Funding Grant Scheme which included funding for security measures such as enhanced lighting and CCTV. A new National Lorry Parking Survey is currently underway to provide up to date evidence on the availability, security and quality of lorry parking in England and by region. Transport Focus published a survey of HGV drivers in December 2025 which found that visible security measures are a priority for drivers and support both vehicle security and driver welfare. Crime recording is a matter for the Home Office. Police‑recorded crime data does not separately identify freight crime or its location, therefore no assessment can be done on the number of incidents at secure lorry parks or analysis of trends over time. However, a Home Office pilot of a flag to improve the identification of freight‑related offences is underway with a small number of police forces. The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), publish data on HGV and cargo related crime notifications received from police forces and members as follows: YearNo. of Offences20204,46820214,44820225,10320235,37020244,879 DfT officials have worked with NaVCIS to identify areas of high HGV and cargo related crimes. This unpublished analysis is supporting future policy development.

Pursuant to Answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 115137, how many new secure HGV parking spaces have been delivered in each region of England since 2022.

The Department has not assessed the impact of secure lorry parking or enhanced lighting and CCTV at lorry parks on levels of freight crime. The 2022 survey of HGV parking in England identified a lack of security measures and secure parking as a priority for drivers. This informed the design of the Lorry Parking and Driver Welfare Match Funding Grant Scheme which included funding for security measures such as enhanced lighting and CCTV. A new National Lorry Parking Survey is currently underway to provide up to date evidence on the availability, security and quality of lorry parking in England and by region. Transport Focus published a survey of HGV drivers in December 2025 which found that visible security measures are a priority for drivers and support both vehicle security and driver welfare. Crime recording is a matter for the Home Office. Police‑recorded crime data does not separately identify freight crime or its location, therefore no assessment can be done on the number of incidents at secure lorry parks or analysis of trends over time. However, a Home Office pilot of a flag to improve the identification of freight‑related offences is underway with a small number of police forces. The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), publish data on HGV and cargo related crime notifications received from police forces and members as follows: YearNo. of Offences20204,46820214,44820225,10320235,37020244,879 DfT officials have worked with NaVCIS to identify areas of high HGV and cargo related crimes. This unpublished analysis is supporting future policy development.

What proportion of Universal Credit claimants are assessed as having a) negligible and b) negative disposal income after housing and energy costs.

We do not hold information on the disposable income of households after essential expenditure including energy costs. Working-age benefits covered by the Secretary of State’s statutory review will be increased by 3.8% from April, in line with the increase in the consumer prices index in the year to September 2025. The Universal Credit Act 2025 means that the Universal Credit standard allowance will be up-rated by 3.8%, followed by a further 2.3% from April.

What estimate he has made of the number of households with less than £50 per month in disposable income after essential expenditure.

We do not hold information on the disposable income of households after essential expenditure including energy costs. Working-age benefits covered by the Secretary of State’s statutory review will be increased by 3.8% from April, in line with the increase in the consumer prices index in the year to September 2025. The Universal Credit Act 2025 means that the Universal Credit standard allowance will be up-rated by 3.8%, followed by a further 2.3% from April.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of variation between NHS trusts in the a) operation and b) resourcing of Patient Advice and Liaison Services.

No assessment has been made of the operation and level of resourcing of Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) across National Health Service trusts. PALS is a free, confidential and independent service providing advice and support to resolve issues affecting NHS patients informally and, in some areas, formally through the NHS complaints process. It is for NHS trusts to determine the provision of PALS within their hospitals.The 10-Year Health Plan committed the Department and NHS England to improving the handling of patient complaints, including to update of complaint regulations. It is intended that this will also consider related matters, such as the introduction of new forms of feedback and the role of PALS. This will be within the portfolio of the new National Director for Patient Experience, for which recruitment will soon be underway.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of personal debt among financially vulnerable households in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

The Government regularly engages with the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to monitor personal finances and debt levels. Household debt levels have been falling since the beginning of 2022, with the household debt-to-income ratio in 2025 at its lowest level since 2002. The Financial Policy Committee at the Bank of England expects households to remain resilient in aggregate. However, the Government also recognises that some households face difficulties managing debt. The Government is committed to ensuring that those in problem debt can access the specialist support they need to get their finances back on track. That is why we fund free, impartial debt advice services through MaPS to meet the needs and concerns of individuals in debt, including national and community-based services offering free-to-client debt advice. MaPS regularly measures the need for debt advice in the UK. Its 2025 MoneyView Report notes that c.12% of adults in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency need debt advice (compared to 14% of all UK adults).

Whether he plans to introduce national service standards for Patient Advice and Liaison Services.

No assessment has been made of the operation and level of resourcing of Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) across National Health Service trusts. PALS is a free, confidential and independent service providing advice and support to resolve issues affecting NHS patients informally and, in some areas, formally through the NHS complaints process. It is for NHS trusts to determine the provision of PALS within their hospitals.The 10-Year Health Plan committed the Department and NHS England to improving the handling of patient complaints, including to update of complaint regulations. It is intended that this will also consider related matters, such as the introduction of new forms of feedback and the role of PALS. This will be within the portfolio of the new National Director for Patient Experience, for which recruitment will soon be underway.

What steps he is taking to improve access to treatment and engagement with services for people experiencing alcohol dependence in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with an alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, including in South Basildon and East Thurrock, and we recognise the need for evidence-based, high-quality treatment.Local authorities are responsible for commissioning alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services as part of their public health responsibilities. As a condition of the Public Health Grant, local authorities are responsible for improving the uptake of, and outcomes from, their alcohol and drug treatment services, based on an assessment of local need and a plan which has been developed with local health and criminal justice partners. From 2026/27, all alcohol and drug treatment and recovery funding will be ringfenced and channelled through the Public Health Grant. Through the ringfenced funding, Essex will receive £11,023,044 in 2026/27 and indicative totals of £11,247,572 and £11,466,588 for 2027/28 and 2028/29 respectively. Thurrock will receive £1,588,644 in 2026/27 and indicative totals of £1,621,003 and £1,652,567 for 2027/28 and 2028/29 respectively.The Department, with the support of partners from the devolved administrations, has developed and published the first ever United Kingdom clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment. This is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/clinical-guidelines-for-alcohol-treatmentThe aim of the guidelines is to promote and support good practice and improve the quality of service provision, resulting in better outcomes for people experiencing harmful drinking and alcohol dependence.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of enforcement powers available to the Environment Agency regarding sewage discharges by water companies.

The Government keeps the Environment Agency’s (EA) powers to address sewage discharges under regular review. We introduced the Water (Special Measures) Act to increase accountability, strengthen sanctions, and make pollution coverups a criminal offence. Our 'New Vision for Water' White Paper, published earlier this year, sets out further reforms, including tighter discharge limits, enhanced monitoring requirements, and the creation of a new single water regulator with stronger, more proactive enforcement tools to ensure water companies are held fully to account for sewage pollution. The Government is also bringing forward measures to strengthen the EA’s ability to act swiftly and proportionately on minor to moderate environmental offences, including those related to sewage discharges. Through forthcoming secondary legislation, we intend to introduce new civil-standard variable monetary penalties and automatic penalties. These tools will enable quicker, more targeted enforcement for minor and moderate breaches, complementing existing powers such as prosecution and criminal-standard penalties, and ensuring water companies face clear and immediate consequences for noncompliance.

Food and Rural Affairs, what targets his Department has set for the creation of new natural habitats along rivers and coastlines.

We have a statutory habitat target which include rivers and coastal habitats, but no sub-targets for habitat types. The revised Environmental Improvement Plan includes prioritised actions to deliver our goals and the ambitious Environment Act targets. It included a commitment to increase saltmarsh by 15% compared to 2009 levels by 2043. The Environment Agency (EA) has a national target for Hectares of habitat created or restored delivering Environmental Net Gain Goals of 680 Ha for 2025/26. The target for 2026/27 is currently being agreed. In addition, the EA initiative Restoring Meadows Marsh and Reef will deliver the Environment Improvement Plan 2025 commitment by 2043 to increase saltmarsh by 15% compared to 2009 levels, seagrass by 15% compared to 2024 levels and create functional oyster reef habitat.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding has been allocated in the current spending period for river and coastal habitat restoration.

The “current spending period” is taken to mean the 2025/26 financial year. The Environment Agency (EA) was allocated several funds in 2025/26 that directly contribute to the restoration of river and coastal habitats: £10.9 million Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF)£3.3 million Flood Investment programme: Habitat Compensation and Restoration Programme (HCRP)*£8.6m Flood Investment programme: Environmental Statutory Allowance (ESA) scheme £12.6m was also allocated to the Mining Remediation Authority and the Environment Agency for the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines (WAMM) Programme. *Note: the figure is only as per the 25/26 FCERM consented programme and is not yet audited by finance, therefore subject to change. The EA is working with partners to achieve the Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) programme mission and Environmental Improvement Plan Commitment to restore 15% of saltmarsh, seagrass and native oyster reef in England by 2043. Defra has boosted the capacity of ReMeMaRe by providing £130,000 this financial year towards a programme office which is supporting a pipeline of practical restoration projects for those habitats.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities including (a) Thurrock, (b) Basildon, and (c) Essex councils on bringing wildlife restoration projects into suburban and rural communities.

Essex has a wealth of wildlife and holds a wide variety of nature-rich habitats, including some that are unique to this part of England. As one of 48 Responsible Authorities appointed by the Secretary of State, Essex County Council published its Local Nature Recovery Strategy in July 2025. These strategies propose actions to improve, expand and connect nature, in both rural and urban areas. Natural England has a statutory role, providing bespoke advice and quality assurance to each LNRS, and continues to support Essex County Council as this strategy now moves into a planning and delivery phase. The proposed actions and priorities for improving and connecting nature and greenspace in urban areas, both for the benefit of wildlife and for communities, are set out in chapters 6 and 9 of the Essex Local Nature Recovery Strategy. The development of Essex’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy has been supported by 14 Borough and District Councils which have contributed local data and expertise, including local wildlife site data and species records. These Supporting Authorities include Thurrock Council, Basildon Borough Council, Southend-on-Sea, Chelmsford and Colchester. In the Thurrock area Natural England has been advising and engaging with a number of stakeholders including Thurrock Council, major infrastructure projects and other developers on how to secure long-term thriving nature alongside economic growth opportunities. Natural England’s Sustainable Development leads are advising 14 local authorities across Essex on nature and green space through the Local Plan process, including both Basildon and Thurrock. Essex County Council has developed a Green Infrastructure Strategy which provides guidance for Planning Authorities within the county. Colchester and Southend-on-Sea are both prioritising Green Infrastructure within their Local Plans. Green Infrastructure is the term for multi-functional green spaces such as parks, gardens, wildlife areas, waterways and drainage systems which can deliver benefits for nature, for people and economic prosperity.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Ofwat in preventing water companies from prioritising shareholder returns over environmental protection.

A stable and effective regulatory framework is crucial in attracting sustained investment to the sector.  The Government supports Ofwat imposing tougher rules on water company dividends and bonuses, so that consumer bills never reward pollution. Ofwat want to see improved transparency of environmental outcomes, enabling customers and stakeholders to understand progress and challenge companies on performance.

Food and Rural Affairs, what mechanisms exist for local communities to be involved in decision-making about water quality and river restoration in their areas; and whether he plans to expand those mechanisms.

The Government’s Water White Paper committed to strengthening regional water planning to enable a more holistic, coordinated approach to water environment and supply planning. Enhanced regional planning will support delivery of national and local priorities and unlock better collaboration across sectors. Regional planning will draw on the work of catchment partnerships to ensure that plans are based on local insight and tailored to local needs. The Catchment Based Approach enables community involvement through over 100 catchment partnerships supporting local water quality management and river restoration projects. For example, these partnerships work with the Environment Agency on measures for statutory river basin management plans. The government has doubled funding for catchment partnerships to strengthen local capacity to deliver effective catchment planning.

What estimate he has made of the number of court delays in (a) Basildon, (b) Essex and (c) England attributable to late prisoner transport in each of the last three years.

The number of contractual delays caused by late prisoner transport to court attributable to the Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS) suppliers for Basildon, Essex and England between 2023 and 2025 are shown in the table below.Area202320242025TotalBasildon06410Essex14303377England4672552941016PECS performance remains consistently over 99%, and while even small numbers of delays can have visible impacts in busy courts, we are improving reporting through digital development of a new application, this will further enable PECS to ensure performance data is transparent and accurately reflects what is happening across the system. We value feedback from all stakeholders which enable PECS to ensure performance data is transparent and accurately reflects what is happening across the system. We recognise the problems we inherited in prisoner transfer with delays occurring at prisons, en route between prison and court and at courts themselves in bringing prisoners to the dock. The Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending and I will chair an oversight body established to review prisoner transfer from end to end. This will monitor and drive performance improvements in prisoner transfer across the country. We are working with the Department for Transport to issue guidance on PECS’ use of bus lanes to all local authorities. And in London, where traffic regularly causes delays, we are working closely with Transport for London (TfL) to reduce avoidable delays and keep the justice system moving.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Deputy Prime Minister sets out vision for the justice system, published on 24 February 2026, what steps he is taking to ensure that AI court assistance does not lead to listing errors.

HMCTS is developing and piloting AI-enabled support for operational activity such as listing in a way that retains appropriate human oversight and accountability for decisions. In line with HMCTS Responsible AI principles, any work to scale AI-enabled tools will include robust processes for how issues and errors will be identified, challenged and corrected. Lessons learned from pilots in courts such as Preston and Isleworth, and subsequent evaluation will inform what safeguards are required for any future wider deployment. All of these have been subject to human oversight and are there to assist decision making in accordance with a new national listing framework to be introduced.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Deputy Prime Minister sets out vision for the justice system, published on 24 February 2026, whether any blitz courts are planned to be opened in Essex.

At this current time there are no plans to operate blitz courts in Essex.