Every parliamentary written question tabled by James McMurdock this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1,581–1,600 of 3,483 · this parliament
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of US military action in Venezuela on regional stability in Latin America.
I refer the Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 5 January, and her responses to questions raised in that debate.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department has taken to discourage drug exports from Venezuela in the last 12 months.
I refer the Hon Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on 3 December.
What steps she is taking to support police forces to tackle the illegal use of e-scooters in residential areas.
Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.The police have a suite of powers available to them to tackle the illegal use of e-scooters, including in residential areas, and we expect police to deploy them appropriately.The Crime and Policing Bill will give police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving vehicles including e-scooters, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before they are able to seize a vehicle. This will allow police to put an immediate stop to offending.The Government also recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles more quickly, including e-bikes and privately owned e-scooters, which have been used anti-socially or illegally.These combined measures will help tackle the scourge of e-bikes and e-scooters ridden anti-socially or illegally and will send a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to improve information sharing and communications with her Egyptian counterparts.
The UK and Egyptian Governments communicate regularly on a range of shared priorities, including our efforts to secure peace and humanitarian relief in Gaza and Sudan.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has taken recent steps to review the level of consular support received abroad by British nationals with dual citizenship.
Information about the consular support available to British nationals overseas, and the criteria for such support, are set out on GOV.UK at the links below. This was last updated in August 2022 and there are no current plans to change it.Consular assistance: how the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office provides support - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/consular-assistance-how-the-foreign-commonwealth-development-office-provides-support)Who the FCDO can support abroad - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/who-the-fcdo-can-support-abroad)
What information her Department holds on the number of British citizens born (a) in the UK and (b) abroad who have been deported after their citizenship was revoked in each of the last 5 years.
The British Nationality Act 1981 provides the Secretary of State with the power to deprive an individual of their British citizenship where:The Secretary of State is satisfied that it would be conducive to the public good;The person acquired citizenship as a result of fraud, false representations or concealment of a material factThe Government considers that deprivation on ‘conducive grounds’ is an appropriate response to activities such as those involving:National security, including espionage and acts of terrorism directed at this country or an allied power;Unacceptable behaviour of the kind mentioned in the then Home Secretary’s statement of 24 August 2005 (‘glorification’ of terrorism etc);War crimes; andSerious organised crime.The Home Office publishes data relating to those deprived of British Citizenship on ‘conducive to the public good’ grounds. These are published in the Government Transparency Report: Disruptive and Investigatory Powers. Reports have been published up to 2024.The figures from the previous five years of individuals who have been deprived of their British citizenship for this reason, are below: YearNumber of individuals202182022320232202412025Not yet published In the interest of safeguarding national security, we do not break down these figures into sub-categories.
Whether her Department plans to review the British citizenship of dual nationals convicted of previously expressing violent, racist or xenophobic sentiments.
The British Nationality Act 1981 provides the Secretary of State with the power to deprive an individual of their British citizenship where:The Secretary of State is satisfied that it would be conducive to the public good;The person acquired citizenship as a result of fraud, false representations or concealment of a material factThe Government considers that deprivation on ‘conducive grounds’ is an appropriate response to activities such as those involving:National security, including espionage and acts of terrorism directed at this country or an allied power;Unacceptable behaviour of the kind mentioned in the then Home Secretary’s statement of 24 August 2005 (‘glorification’ of terrorism etc);War crimes; andSerious organised crime.The Home Office publishes data relating to those deprived of British Citizenship on ‘conducive to the public good’ grounds. These are published in the Government Transparency Report: Disruptive and Investigatory Powers. Reports have been published up to 2024.The figures from the previous five years of individuals who have been deprived of their British citizenship for this reason, are below: YearNumber of individuals202182022320232202412025Not yet published In the interest of safeguarding national security, we do not break down these figures into sub-categories.
Pursuant to the press release of 26 December 2025 on defence exports, what assessment the Department has made of emerging markets for future export growth.
The Ministry of Defence continually seeks to identify export opportunities for the UK defence industry, working with the UK Defence Solution Centre and industry, and in line with UK licencing. We have a pipeline of appointments for UK platforms, components and services and as the Minister responsible for exports I need the team regularly to review actions, appointments and next steps.
Pursuant to the press release of 26 December 2025 on defence exports, how many export licences for defence equipment were approved in 2025; and how many applications were (a) refused and (b) withdrawn.
In 2025 Q1 (between 1 January and 31 March 2025), 2,732 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) were issued, and 140 were refused. 260 were withdrawn. In 2025 Q2 (between 1 April and 30 June 2025), 2,612 SIELs were issued, and 104 were refused.221 were withdrawn. These numbers reflect military and non-military licences, as both licences could include goods that may be considered defence equipment. Our quarterly licensing statistics provide descriptions of the goods covered for licences issued.Information on export licensing decisions from 1 July 2025 onwards has not yet been published as official statistics. Information relating to export licensing decisions covering the period 1 July 2025 to 30 September 2025 (2025 Q3) is planned to be published on 29 January 2026: Strategic export controls: licensing statistics: 1 July to 30 September 2025 - Official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.
What information her Department holds on the number and proportion of people who have successfully applied to be a British citizen but have not attended their British citizenship ceremony in each of the last 10 years.
The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
What the total cost was of procuring, fitting, and monitoring alcohol tags in each of the last three years.
Financial records allow us to provide the direct contractual costs of alcohol monitoring which include the cost of the tag purchases and system monitoring but do not distinguish between case type for Electronic Monitoring in terms of tag installation or physical monitoring and therefore the table below excludes these costs for the three years. Costs also exclude probation and other criminal justice system partners’ resource supporting EM in the community.As a result of our record investment in electronic monitoring, we are tagging more offenders than ever before. The technology is playing a significant role in the Government’s mission to take back our streets from alcohol-fuelled harm, which the National Audit Office estimate costs the UK economy £21 billion a year. Evidence is increasingly proving the effectiveness of tags, with offenders banned from drinking alcohol staying sober for 97% of the days they were tagged. 2023/242024/252025/26(Actual)(Actual)(Actual)Procurement and System Monitoring of Alcohol Monitoring tags£8.1m £12.5m £15.2m
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of ground rent escalation clauses on leaseholders.
I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 74455 on 15 September 2025. In addition, measures in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which came into effect in December, will prevent long leases with grounds rents of £250 (or £1,000 in London) from repossession under provisions in the 1988 Housing Act.
With reference to the press release of 26 December 2025 on defence exports, what proportion of UK defence export contracts in 2025 included participation by small and medium‑sized enterprises; and what steps the Department is taking to increase SME involvement in future export programmes.
The contracts the press release includes are significant in scope and led by large Prime contractors. While these contracts will involve SME subcontractors, the Department does not hold data on the proportion of SME value, as that is a matter for the Prime. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) supports SMEs to export through our Export Faculty, which supports SMEs to access these opportunities. The Faculty membership grew from around 1,900 to over 2,500 SMEs in 2025. The new Defence Office for Small Business Growth will further boost support for SMEs, signposting sources of expert advice including the Export Faculty and delivering on our target to increase MOD’s spend with SMEs by £2.5 billion by May 2028.
What estimate she has made of the potential impact of the (a) introduction of pay-per-mile road tax for electric vehicles and (b) changes to fuel duty freezes on small and medium-sized businesses in the logistics sector.
As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that electric vehicles (EVs) contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty. The taxation of motoring is a critical source of funding for public services and investment in infrastructure. All UK-registered electric and plug-in hybrid cars will pay eVED. Other vehicle types such as vans, buses, coaches, motorcycles and HGVs will be out of scope of the tax upon its introduction. This is because the transition to electric for these vehicle types is less advanced than for cars at this stage. At Budget 2025, the Government also announced continued support for people and businesses by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut until the end of August 2026. Rates will then gradually return to previous levels. The planned increase in line with inflation for 2026-27 will not take place, with the government increasing fuel duty rates in line with RPI from April 2027. This will save the average van driver £100 next year compared to previous plans, and the average HGV driver more than £800.
What the total value of UK defence exports was in 2025.
The figure in the press release stating the UK secures over £20 billion in defence exports to allies in 2025 published on 26 December 2025 refers to the value of several significant and already publicised defence export deals agreed in 2025. The Ministry of Defence does not publish country level data for defence exports. The most recently published defence export statistics, covering 2023, details exports by destination region.
Pursuant to the press release of 26 December 2025 on defence exports, which countries accounted for the largest share of UK defence exports in 2025.
The figure in the press release stating the UK secures over £20 billion in defence exports to allies in 2025 published on 26 December 2025 refers to the value of several significant and already publicised defence export deals agreed in 2025. The Ministry of Defence does not publish country level data for defence exports. The most recently published defence export statistics, covering 2023, details exports by destination region.
How many complaints relating to the condition of military home accommodation were received in the last 12 months; and how many of those properties were included in recently reported upgrades.
The Condition of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) is not a categorisation used by the Department’s Industry Partner, Pinnacle, when recording complaints. Therefore, this information is not held in the format requested and can only be provided at disproportionate cost. Between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025 Pinnacle received a total of 4,408 individual complaints in relation to SFA. For the Department to determine which of those complaints fall into the scope of ‘condition of SFA’, Pinnacle would be required to review a total of 4,408 complaints (with an average of 10 minutes per complaint). Therefore, at a disproportionate cost.
Pursuant to the press release of 26 December 2025 on defence exports, what export promotion activities were undertaken by the Department in 2025; and what assessment has been made of their effectiveness in securing new defence export contracts.
The Defence Industrial Strategy made clear that “The new Office of Defence Exports (ODE) means responsibility for defence exports has been unified under the control of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). This creates a Government-to-Government exports offer which reflects what our allies and our industry need”. The ODE will help deliver our commitments to boost UK export potential. The MOD and wider HMG participated in nine international tradeshows in 2025, including DSEI UK. The Department continually seeks feedback on the effectiveness of HMG export promotion activities from industry and international partners, and prioritises participation in future tradeshows based on an assessment of future opportunities.
With reference to the press release entitled Faster treatments and support for health workers as AI tackles A&E bottlenecks, published on 28 December 2025, if he will commission an independent evaluation of the potential impact of AI‑enabled A&E systems on NHS organisations utilising them.
Currently, there are no plans for a formal independent evaluation of the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) enabled accident and emergency systems on National Health Service organisations. However, NHS England is undertaking an internal evaluation, as the particular AI tool referenced within the press release is an NHS England development, built within the Federated Data Platform.The tool has been subject to quality assurance and includes built-in metrics to monitor forecast accuracy and performance over time. To date, evaluation has focused on technical robustness, data quality, and usability, rather than the direct impacts on waiting times, which are influenced by multiple factors beyond demand forecasting alone.
What the cost has been to date of deploying AI systems in A&E departments; and what estimate his Department has made of the cost of a national rollout.
To date, the Department has not undertaken any formal assessment or estimate on the cost or value of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to predict levels of demand in accident and emergency departments.Decisions regarding the adoption and deployment of AI tools, including those used for demand prediction in accident and emergency settings as discussed in the article ‘Faster treatments and support for health workers as AI tackles accident and emergency bottlenecks’, are made at a local level by individual National Health Service trusts. At present, NHS trusts have autonomy to determine the use of such technologies, taking into account the needs and priorities of their respective organisation, independent of the Government. As such, we do not have a cost estimate of a national rollout, nor can we confirm the procurement processes used by those organisations.The implementation of the AI tools discussed in the article ‘Faster treatments and support for health workers as AI tackles accident and emergency bottlenecks’ did not involve an individual procurement of third-party goods or services for the accident and emergency tool, which was developed in the Federated Data Platform. AI implementation programmes that do involve the procurement of third-party goods, services, or digital products are managed in compliance with the obligations set out in the Procurement Act 2023, and the relevant NHS contracting authorities' standing financial instructions.