Written questions by McMurdock.

With reference to the news story entitled UK-SA Trade Pact Unlocks Tariff Savings for Local Exporters, published on 26 January 2026, what estimate his Department has made of the value of tariff savings generated by the UK–South Africa Economic Partnership Agreement in each year since 2021.

On average, from 2022 to 2024, the agreement between the UK and SACUM members has resulted in over £2.3bn of imports entering the UK eligible for reduced duties each year, with £2.1bn benefitting from the lower duty rate afforded under the agreement. During this time, more than £2.0bn of goods benefitting from reduced duties originated from South Africa. The EPA has delivered tariff savings and lowered import costs for British consumers and businesses. As set out in the UK Trade Strategy, we have started a tariff review of the UK-SACUM EPA that will aim to further reduce tariff barriers under the Agreement. We will update Parliament once these discussions conclude.

With reference to the news story entitled UK-SA Trade Pact Unlocks Tariff Savings for Local Exporters, published on 26 January 2026, what assessment he has made of the impact of the UK–Southern Africa Economic Partnership Agreement on UK–South Africa trade.

On average, from 2022 to 2024, the agreement between the UK and SACUM members has resulted in over £2.3bn of imports entering the UK eligible for reduced duties each year, with £2.1bn benefitting from the lower duty rate afforded under the agreement. During this time, more than £2.0bn of goods benefitting from reduced duties originated from South Africa. The EPA has delivered tariff savings and lowered import costs for British consumers and businesses. As set out in the UK Trade Strategy, we have started a tariff review of the UK-SACUM EPA that will aim to further reduce tariff barriers under the Agreement. We will update Parliament once these discussions conclude.

With reference to the news story entitled UK-SA Trade Pact Unlocks Tariff Savings for Local Exporters, published on 26 January 2026, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK-South Africa Economic Partnership Agreement on job creation in the UK.

On average, from 2022 to 2024, the agreement between the UK and SACUM members has resulted in over £2.3bn of imports entering the UK eligible for reduced duties each year, with £2.1bn benefitting from the lower duty rate afforded under the agreement. During this time, more than £2.0bn of goods benefitting from reduced duties originated from South Africa. The EPA has delivered tariff savings and lowered import costs for British consumers and businesses. As set out in the UK Trade Strategy, we have started a tariff review of the UK-SACUM EPA that will aim to further reduce tariff barriers under the Agreement. We will update Parliament once these discussions conclude.

What steps he is taking to increase awareness among young people of career opportunities in British manufacturing industries.

The Government is taking a range of steps to increase awareness among young people of the diverse and rewarding career opportunities available in British manufacturing. This forms part of our wider efforts to reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Promoting the Youth Guarantee, the Government’s commitment to ensure young people have access to support to find a job, training or an apprenticeship, is a key element of this approach. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) promotes careers in manufacturing to young people through a range of national and local activity, including Jobcentre-led manufacturing-focused careers sessions, employer talks and jobs boards focused on apprenticeships and early careers roles. Work Coaches are also being upskilled to help them confidently challenge outdated myths and discuss modern manufacturing with young people. We work closely with industry bodies such as Make UK and the Institute for Grocery Distributors, to support young people to better understand the breadth of manufacturing careers available. In addition, we encourage employers to directly engage with schools and colleges, and work closely with the National Careers Service to provide clear information on routes into the sector. We also promote pathways into manufacturing, including government skills interventions such as Sector-based Work Academy Programmes and Skills Bootcamps, and apprenticeships. National Manufacturing Day (NMD) further supports these efforts by opening up factories and workplaces to schools, colleges, and local communities. Through activities such as factory tours, demonstrations and employer-led talks young people can see firsthand what modern manufacturing looks like and the range of roles available, including apprenticeships and graduate routes. The Department for Education (DfE) supports NMD by promoting it to schools and parents and providing materials on education and training routes into the sector for school leavers. Finally, DWP hosts regular Jobs and Careers Fairs, with planned events throughout 2026, designed to support young people, particularly those who are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET, to explore opportunities across different sectors, including manufacturing. These events enable young people to access advice and training and engage directly with employers.

What criteria is used to assess the suitability of publicly-funded manufacturing contracts allocated to companies.

The Procurement Act sets out the process that contracting authorities follow when assessing the suitability of suppliers for public contracts, including their capacity and capability to deliver. This approach is supported by guidance in the Sourcing Playbook.

What steps he is taking to support British manufacturing businesses in the production of new energy projects.

The government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower and deliver clean power by 2030 will accelerate deployment of wind, hydrogen, nuclear, CCUS, heat pumps, and related technologies across the UK. The government’s Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan targets at least double current investment levels across our Clean Energy Industries to over £30 billion per year by 2035. These are the industries of the future that can create hundreds of thousands of jobs for engineers, technicians, mechanics, electricians, and welders in every corner of the country. Additionally, the government will provided targeted support to businesses through The National Wealth Fund (NWF) and Great British Energy (GBE). The NWF will deploy £27.8 billion by 2030/31, including £5.8 billion for key clean industry sectors. Energy, Engineered in the UK (EEUK) is GBE’s flagship supply chain investment programme. It will deliver £1 billion of funding to increase UK manufacturing capacity, drive down technology costs, and create and support jobs across the UK.

What recent assessment he has made of trends in the levels CO2 emissions caused by importing foreign steel for British manufacturing projects.

The Department estimates greenhouse gas emissions (including carbon dioxide) on a territorial basis, meaning emissions that occur within UK borders. This is the approach required by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the UK’s Climate Change Act 2008. The latest estimates are published here: UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions statistics - GOV.UK Defra publishes consumption-based emissions statistics, calculated by the University of Leeds, which include emissions associated with imported goods and services. The latest estimates are published here: UK and England's carbon footprint to 2022 - GOV.UK Last year, the Department consulted on measures to accelerate the adoption of low carbon products, including low carbon steel. The consultation is published here: Growing the market for low carbon industrial products: policy framework - GOV.UK

What steps he is taking to support British manufacturing SMEs to bid for contracts.

The Government is determined to ensure the £400 billion of public money spent on public procurement annually delivers economic growth and supports British businesses, especially SMEs. The Government’s reforms to the National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) requires contracting authorities to consider ways to increase procurement spend with SMEs and Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprises (VCSEs), like in the manufacturing sector. We have also introduced changes allowing local councils to reserve over one billion pounds worth of lower value contracts to suppliers based locally or within the UK which has recently become law, a step strongly supported by SMEs. We will set out further reforms, including the response to the recent public procurement consultation, in due course. These reforms will further support British SMEs, like in manufacturing, to bid for contracts.

What steps he is taking to support training and skills pathways for British manufacturing industries.

DWP works closely with industry bodies such as Make UK, the Manufacturing Technologies Association and the Institute for Grocery Distributors to support jobseekers to better understand the many career opportunities available in manufacturing. DWP also promotes pathways into manufacturing to jobseekers, including skills interventions such as Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) and Skills Bootcamps, alongside paid employment routes such as Apprenticeships. Between April 2021 and December 2025, DWP delivered 16,080 SWAP starts in the manufacturing sector.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled PM: “We're capping ground rents at £250”, published on 27 January 2026, what estimate his Department has made of the number of residential leaseholders paying more than £250 on ground rent.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278) as well as the corresponding ground rent policy statement which can be found on gov.uk here.An Impact Assessment and response to the 2023 ground rent consultation will be published in due course to support scrutiny of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled PM: “We're capping ground rents at £250”, published on 27 January 2026, what proportion of leaseholders will have ground rents reduced immediately upon commencement of the cap.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278) as well as the corresponding ground rent policy statement which can be found on gov.uk here.An Impact Assessment and response to the 2023 ground rent consultation will be published in due course to support scrutiny of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled PM: “We're capping ground rents at £250”, published on 27 January 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed cap to ground rent on levels of rent set by landlords.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278) as well as the corresponding ground rent policy statement which can be found on gov.uk here.An Impact Assessment and response to the 2023 ground rent consultation will be published in due course to support scrutiny of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled PM: “We're capping ground rents at £250”, published on 27 January 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of those reforms on mortgage availability and property sales for leasehold homes.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278) as well as the corresponding ground rent policy statement which can be found on gov.uk here.An Impact Assessment and response to the 2023 ground rent consultation will be published in due course to support scrutiny of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled PM: “We're capping ground rents at £250”, published on 27 January 2026, whether the proposed peppercorn ground rent cap after 40 years will apply retroactively.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278) as well as the corresponding ground rent policy statement which can be found on gov.uk here.An Impact Assessment and response to the 2023 ground rent consultation will be published in due course to support scrutiny of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

What the total monetary value was of NHS costs submitted under the European Health Insurance Card scheme that were not recovered in each of the last three financial years.

Under our agreements with the European Union, European Free Trade Association countries and Switzerland, we make claims to European countries for National Health Service costs incurred by temporary visitors from those countries. Claims are made in arrears and take up to four years before they are fully settled.The following table shows the position of European Health Insurance Card and Provisional Replacement Certificate claims for the last three financial years as of 31 March 2025:Financial yearTotal value of claims submitted by UK (£000s)Claims withdrawn by UK (£000s)Claims paid to the UK (£000s)Outstanding claims (£000s)2022/2310,2004029,1746242023/2412,0542336,5705,2512024/2512,0411986311,159Grand Total34,29565416,60617,035 These figures come from extracts from the NHS Business Services Authority’s claims processing database used by the Department for accounting purposes. Claims listed as withdrawn or paid have been settled whereas those listed as outstanding are still being agreed. We expect most outstanding claims to be settled in the United Kingdom’s favour.This data excludes countries where NHS costs for temporary visitors are reimbursed based on a formula agreement which calculates costs from the number of visitors from that country to the UK. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/healthcare-eea-and-switzerland-arrangements-act-2019-annual-report-april-2021-to-march-2022/annual-report-on-payments-made-under-the-healthcare-eea-and-switzerland-arrangements-act-2019-april-2021-to-march-2022#financial-reimbursement-arrangements-of-current-agreements-listed-under-heeasa

With reference to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s press release entitled MHRA seizes illegal medicines worth almost £45m in 2025 – disrupting major criminal networks, published on 26 January 2026, what recent steps his Department have taken to raise public awareness of the health risks associated with consuming illegally traded medicines.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the regulation of medicines for human use, medical devices, and blood products for transfusion in the United Kingdom. This includes applying the legal controls on the retail sale, supply, and advertising of medicines which are set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.Sourcing medicines from unregulated suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not authorised for use. Products purchased in this way will not meet the MHRA’s strict quality and safety standards and could expose patients to incorrect dosages or dangerous ingredients.The MHRA is continually developing new and innovative ways to combat the illegal trade in medicines and to raise public awareness. These measures include:- publication of a #Fakemeds campaign which explains how to access medicines through safe and legitimate online sources, with further information available at the following link: https://fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk/;- public guidance on how to safely access and use GLP-1 medications, available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know.- implementation of a web-based reporting scheme allowing users to report suspicious online sellers to the MHRA;- rollout of an online service which will allow users to check if a website has been deemed ‘Not Recommended’ by the MHRA; and- extensive work with media outlets to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal medicines.The MHRA, and its Criminal Enforcement Unit, works hard to prevent, detect, and investigate illegal activity involving medicines and medical devices and takes enforcement action where necessary. It works closely with other health regulators, customs authorities, law enforcement agencies, and private sector partners, including e-commerce and the internet industry to identify, remove and block online content promoting the illegal sale of medicines and medical devices.

With reference to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s press release entitled MHRA seizes illegal medicines worth almost £45m in 2025 – disrupting major criminal networks, published on 26 January 2026, what guidance his Department issues to GPs and other healthcare professionals when patients indicate they have obtained illegally traded medicines.

The General Medical Council (GMC) is independent of the Government, is directly accountable to Parliament, and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of their statutory duties. The United Kingdom’s model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.The GMC’s Good medical practice states that doctors must follow “Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices” which notes that when prescribing, doctors must consider whether the information they have is reliable enough to enable them to provide safe care, including a consideration of whether the patient is obtaining medication from other sources.In addition, the GMC’s Confidentiality: good practice in handling patient information content sets out doctors’ responsibilities regarding disclosure of patient information in the public interest. This guidance sets out the circumstances in which a medical professional may disclose a patient’s personal information without breaching duties of confidentiality, including when disclosure is required by law.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled ‘UK lenders step up with £11 billion push to back British businesses’ published on 26 January 2026, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs expected to be supported or created as a result of the lending package.

The package is a commitment from the UK’s top high-street banks to lend more to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) using UKEF’s guarantee, to boost UK exports and economic growth. It signals to SMEs that want to export that there is a dedicated pool of capital available for them from lenders whom they trust. Each bank has agreed to make the funds available across the whole of the UK. While we have not made formal assessments of the impact of these commitments on exports, the UK economy or jobs, last year UK Export Finance provided £14.5 billion of support to UK exporters, in turn supporting up to 70,000 jobs and contributing £5.4 billion to the economy.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled, ‘UK lenders step up with £11 billion push to back British businesses,’ published on 26 January 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the £11 billion lending package on UK exports.

The package is a commitment from the UK’s top high-street banks to lend more to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) using UKEF’s guarantee, to boost UK exports and economic growth. It signals to SMEs that want to export that there is a dedicated pool of capital available for them from lenders whom they trust. Each bank has agreed to make the funds available across the whole of the UK. While we have not made formal assessments of the impact of these commitments on exports, the UK economy or jobs, last year UK Export Finance provided £14.5 billion of support to UK exporters, in turn supporting up to 70,000 jobs and contributing £5.4 billion to the economy.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled ‘UK lenders step up with £11 billion push to back British businesses’ published on 26 January 2026, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the lending package to economic growth.

The package is a commitment from the UK’s top high-street banks to lend more to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) using UKEF’s guarantee, to boost UK exports and economic growth. It signals to SMEs that want to export that there is a dedicated pool of capital available for them from lenders whom they trust. Each bank has agreed to make the funds available across the whole of the UK. While we have not made formal assessments of the impact of these commitments on exports, the UK economy or jobs, last year UK Export Finance provided £14.5 billion of support to UK exporters, in turn supporting up to 70,000 jobs and contributing £5.4 billion to the economy.