Written questions by McMurdock.

Communities and Local Government, with refence to his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, Official Report col 1130, what recent discussions his Department has had regarding financial support for whichever restructured council area inherits the debts of Thurrock, Basildon, and Essex Councils.

Thurrock Commissioners were involved in the development of reorganisation proposals and my officials met with them in the course of those and other responsibilities. The Department met with councils following the submission of proposals on 26 September, and officers from Basildon attended the meeting on the five unitary authority proposal meeting in November. Baroness Taylor of Stevenage visited Basildon on 12 December, where local government reorganisation was raised. On the wider question of Thurrock’s debt and the general handling of council debt, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 77936 on 13 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Councils offered flexibility to complete reorganisation, published on 18 December 2025, what discussions he has had with local government bodies in Essex on the expected change in the number of councillors following local government reorganisation.

No decisions have yet been taken on reorganisation in Essex, Southend on Sea and Thurrock and as such the Secretary of State has not had discussions on any expected change in the number of councillors. On 5 February 2025, the Government invited two-tier authorities and their neighbouring small unitary councils to develop proposals for unitary local government. In those proposals, areas were asked to include details of the expected number of councillors for any new unitary council. The four proposals submitted by councils in Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock each included councillor numbers. Consultation on these proposals closed on 11 January 2026. The Secretary of State will now consider the proposals, alongside consultation responses and other available evidence, before deciding which, if any, to implement.

Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the annual cost to local authorities of servicing Private Finance Initiative contracts.

The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) collect the Unitary Payment information for all PFI Contracts held by Local Authorities annually as part of the HM Treasury PFI Data collection exercise. This is shared with relevant Sponsoring Government Departments on a project-by-project basis, the data is not aggregated by Authority but shown per contract.

Communities and Local Government, with refence to his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, Official Report col 1130, what proportion of people employed by councils in Greater Essex does his Department expect will be required for the new council structure.

We anticipate the vast majority of local council workers will transfer to roles in the relevant new unitary council and all workers will be protected by the relevant employment laws.

What estimate he has made of the proportion of pregnant women who are not offered the whooping cough vaccine by 20 weeks’ gestation; and what steps are being taken to improve timely access.

All pregnant women in England should be offered the pertussis vaccination in every pregnancy, around the time of the mid-pregnancy scan, usually 20 weeks, and ideally before 32 weeks.Recent data shows maternal pertussis vaccination coverage from July to September 2025 was 71.9%, which was 7.5% higher than the equivalent period in 2025. The data is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pertussis-immunisation-in-pregnancy-vaccine-coverage-estimates-in-england-october-2013-to-march-2014/prenatal-pertussis-vaccination-coverage-in-england-from-july-to-september-2025NHS England has implemented a range of measures to ensure timely access to the pertussis vaccination programme, including NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency having developed a joint maternal vaccines toolkit and campaign to promote timely uptake of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), whooping cough, and flu vaccines during pregnancy, highlighting the protection provided to newborns.NHS England has commissioned community pharmacies in the North West, Midlands, London, and the East of England to deliver pertussis and RSV vaccines, increasing convenience and capacity, particularly in areas of high deprivation and low uptake.A maternal vaccination postcard has been translated into seven additional languages and distributed to 200 practices with lower uptake. Tailored communications are shared through community and faith-based channels, including radio, podcasts, and local publications.NHS England regularly shares vaccination information with pregnancy and parenting organisations such as Tommy’s and the NCT, as well as community and faith groups, for use on their websites, newsletters, and social media.

What steps his Department is taking to address regional disparities in whooping cough vaccination uptake among pregnant women.

The latest published data for September 2025 shows that prenatal pertussis vaccination coverage has improved in all seven NHS England regions when compared to September 2024.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) report shows monthly prenatal pertussis vaccination coverage followed an increasing trend since April 2024. The report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pertussis-immunisation-in-pregnancy-vaccine-coverage-estimates-in-england-october-2013-to-march-2014/prenatal-pertussis-vaccination-coverage-in-england-from-january-to-march-2025-and-annual-coverage-for-2024-to-2025To support continued improvements, NHS England has developed and implemented a vaccination in pregnancy improvement plan. Actions delivered to date include:- system level oversight and leadership of programme commissioning and delivery, to strengthen the offer process and tackle factors contributing to low vaccine uptake;- ensuring commissioned providers are aware of their responsibilities within the vaccination in pregnancy programmes and are working to strengthen the vaccination offer and ensure consistency in delivery approach;- commissioning community pharmacy providers in areas of low uptake and high deprivation to deliver National Health Service pertussis vaccinations to pregnant women opportunistically or on request;- revised governance arrangements for vaccination in pregnancy programmes, with regional and national colleagues meeting regularly to share learning and good practice from local systems; and- improved vaccination recording and accurate data collection to monitor programme effectiveness, allowing regional teams and their partner integrated care boards to access timely NHS operational data. This informs targeted action to increase uptake and reduce inequalities.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that all pregnant women are offered the whooping cough vaccine at the optimal time in pregnancy.

All pregnant women are offered the whooping cough vaccination in every pregnancy, around the time of the mid-pregnancy scan, usually 20 weeks, and ideally before 32 weeks, via midwifery in the community or their general practice.The Department is working with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency to encourage high uptake of all immunisations, including in underserved communities and in groups with historically lower vaccination rates.Significant efforts have been made to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination to protect babies against whooping cough, also known as pertussis. These include targeted campaigns using social media, digital screen graphics, and community outreach. The National Health Service actively promotes vaccination for pregnant women to protect their newborns, and efforts are underway to enhance the recording and monitoring of vaccinations, ensuring accurate data collection to assess the programme’s effectiveness.Recent data shows maternal pertussis vaccination coverage from July to September 2025 was 71.9%, which was 7.5% higher than the equivalent period in 2025. However, there is more to do to stabilise and improve uptake, and that is why we have set out actions to improve uptake in our 10-Year Health Plan for England. Putting our plans into action, we have recently launched a campaign to promote awareness and confidence in vaccination, including for pregnant women, which will run throughout the year.To improve accessibility, community pharmacies in areas of high deprivation and low uptake are now also commissioned to offer some vaccinations, making it more convenient for individuals to get vaccinated.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, what analysis his Department has conducted on the suitability of establishing parish councils in areas undergoing local government reorganisation.

The government recognises that local authorities undergoing Local Government Reorganisation may wish to establish new town and parish councils through the separate Community Governance Review process. In doing so, they should show how these will contribute to reorganisation’s overall goal of creating simpler structures that deliver high quality and sustainable public services to citizens. The government views the existing Community Governance Review process as suitable in ensuring that parishing arrangements reflect the needs and wishes of local communities.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, whether he plans to abolish the system of elections by thirds.

The Government has no plans to abolish election by thirds.

Communities and Local Government, with refence to his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, Official Report col 1130, whether his Department have any plans to set a per-capita upper limit for debt inheritance for reorganised councils in Essex.

On the management of debt, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 77936 on 13 October 2025. It is the responsibility of councils to manage their budgets, and it is standard for councils to borrow and to hold debt, which they will do in the normal course of business. Local government reorganisation does not change this.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, whether his Department plans to change rules for the establishment and disestablishment of parish councils.

The government recognises that local authorities undergoing Local Government Reorganisation may wish to establish new town and parish councils through the separate Community Governance Review process. In doing so, they should show how these will contribute to reorganisation’s overall goal of creating simpler structures that deliver high quality and sustainable public services to citizens. The government views the existing Community Governance Review process as suitable in ensuring that parishing arrangements reflect the needs and wishes of local communities.

Communities and Local Government, with refence to his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, Official Report col 1132, what measures will be in place to ensure that council areas undergoing reorganisation do not overspend due to their debts being inherited by a new council area.

On the management of debt, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 77936 on 13 October 2025. It is the responsibility of councils to manage their budgets, and it is standard for councils to borrow and to hold debt, which they will do in the normal course of business. Local government reorganisation does not change this.

In what proportion of trials juries reached a not guilty verdict in each year since 2020.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the volume and sentencing outcomes of cases heard at the magistrates’ court for triable either way offences and indictable offences (i.e., trials without a jury), in the Magistrates’ Court data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.The volume and sentencing outcomes of cases heard at the Crown Court is available in the Crown Court data tool by offence type. This includes the number of cases which are convicted and acquitted.

In what proportion of trials without a jury was a not guilty verdict given in each year since 2020.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the volume and sentencing outcomes of cases heard at the magistrates’ court for triable either way offences and indictable offences (i.e., trials without a jury), in the Magistrates’ Court data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.The volume and sentencing outcomes of cases heard at the Crown Court is available in the Crown Court data tool by offence type. This includes the number of cases which are convicted and acquitted.

With reference to the judgment in R (on the application of PACCAR Inc and others) v Competition Appeal Tribunal and others [2023] UKSC 28 as of 26 July 2023, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the judgment on the UK’s position as a global centre for dispute resolution and on the wider legal services sector.

The Government recognisessthat the PACCAR judgment introduced significant uncertainty about whether Litigation Funding Agreements remain valid and brought to light concerns about the regulatory regime that applies to them.That is why, on 17 December 2025, we announced our intention to introduce legislation to mitigate the effects of the PACCAR judgment and bring in proportionate regulation of litigation funding agreements. Third-party litigation funding plays a critical role in access to justice and in maintaining the attractiveness of England and Wales as a jurisdiction and we are committed to ensuring it works fairly for all. We will outline next steps in due course.

With reference to the judgment in R (on the application of PACCAR Inc and others) v Competition Appeal Tribunal and others [2023] UKSC 28 as of 26 July 2023, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the judgment on the stability and functioning of the litigation funding sector.

The Government recognisessthat the PACCAR judgment introduced significant uncertainty about whether Litigation Funding Agreements remain valid and brought to light concerns about the regulatory regime that applies to them.That is why, on 17 December 2025, we announced our intention to introduce legislation to mitigate the effects of the PACCAR judgment and bring in proportionate regulation of litigation funding agreements. Third-party litigation funding plays a critical role in access to justice and in maintaining the attractiveness of England and Wales as a jurisdiction and we are committed to ensuring it works fairly for all. We will outline next steps in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions his Department have had with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England on the process of public consultation on new boundary wards.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is an independent body, accountable to Parliament, responsible for delivering fair electoral and boundary arrangements for English councils. As an independent body, decisions about the process of public consultation on new ward boundaries are a matter for the Commission in line with its statutory duties. The Department has had no recent discussions with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England on this process.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of AI-generated transcripts in criminal proceedings; and how errors will be a) identified, b) challenged and c) corrected.

HMCTS recognises the significant potential for AI transcription to drive productivity across the courts and tribunals. As such, HMCTS is piloting how automated transcription (using AI) could be used across all courts and tribunals, including criminal courts. This work is one of 15 AI Exemplar projects across Government.At the start of 2025, HMCTS completed testing of how AI Transcription could be used to enhance efficiency in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber. This work evidenced strong accuracy, and potential efficiency gains achievable through AI-enabled transcription.In line with HMCTS Responsible AI principles, any work to scale the provision of AI-generated transcripts across the courts and tribunals will establish robust processes for how errors will be a) identified, b) challenged and c) corrected.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reformed dog‑breeding practices on long‑term health problems.

As part of the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government has committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform to improve the health and welfare of breeding dogs and their puppies. This will include proposals to improve the health and welfare standards which all licensed breeders must meet. Defra will continue to engage with stakeholders as this develops.

Communities and Local Government, how many residential and mixed‑use buildings in (a) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency and (b) England contain reinforced concrete transfer slabs constructed using unsafe historic design methods.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) only holds information related to Higher-Risk Buildings with at least two residential units and cannot provide a response to questions related to commercial premises. For Higher-Risk Buildings, the BSR does not hold specific Key Building Information in relation to reinforced concrete transfer slabs which includes those constructed using prior design methods.