Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of locally delivered mentoring schemes in improving youth employment outcomes.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is working to strengthen how young people at risk of becoming NEET are identified and supported. Local authorities, Strategic Authorities, schools and further education providers will be enabled to share and use data more effectively, supported by new ‘Risk of NEET’ indicator tools and guidance. We have published guidance to support local authorities to identify at-risk young people, support participation and post-16 transition, and prevent NEET.
Alongside this, the Youth Guarantee ensures all 18- to 21-year-olds have support to access training, an apprenticeship or work, backed by careers advice, work experience and a targeted job backstop.
Our statutory careers guidance sets clear expectations for schools and colleges to provide inclusive, high quality careers programmes to encourage schools to make links with providers and employers offering mentoring opportunities, particularly for disadvantaged young people and those at risk of becoming NEET.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support local authorities to scale up effective mentoring and employability schemes for young people.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is working to strengthen how young people at risk of becoming NEET are identified and supported. Local authorities, Strategic Authorities, schools and further education providers will be enabled to share and use data more effectively, supported by new ‘Risk of NEET’ indicator tools and guidance. We have published guidance to support local authorities to identify at-risk young people, support participation and post-16 transition, and prevent NEET.
Alongside this, the Youth Guarantee ensures all 18- to 21-year-olds have support to access training, an apprenticeship or work, backed by careers advice, work experience and a targeted job backstop.
Our statutory careers guidance sets clear expectations for schools and colleges to provide inclusive, high quality careers programmes to encourage schools to make links with providers and employers offering mentoring opportunities, particularly for disadvantaged young people and those at risk of becoming NEET.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information his Department holds on the number of breaches of employment law there have been in each sector during seasonal recruitment periods in each of the last three years.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Director of the Labour Market Enforcement’s (DLME) Annual Report for 2023 to 2025 (published in November 2025) provides information on enforcement activity across sectors and areas of heightened risk, including in relation to seasonal workers.
The Government is establishing the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026 which will deliver a much-needed upgrade to employment rights enforcement. Once established, the FWA will publish annual reports on its work and lay them before Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of reporting mechanisms in capturing breaches of employment law among temporary and seasonal workers.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Director of the Labour Market Enforcement’s (DLME) Annual Report for 2023 to 2025 (published in November 2025) provides information on enforcement activity across sectors and areas of heightened risk, including in relation to seasonal workers.
The Government is establishing the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026 which will deliver a much-needed upgrade to employment rights enforcement. Once established, the FWA will publish annual reports on its work and lay them before Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of sentencing on deterring illegal entry into the UK.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are tackling the criminal gangs abusing our borders and putting lives at risk, working closely with law enforcement and international partners to ensure they have the funding, tools and expertise necessary.
The Home Office will seek to prosecute immigration offences wherever there is sufficient evidence to do so. Cases are then referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) where a decision on whether to prosecute is made. This decision is dependent upon the CPS’ assessment of the available evidence and whether or not it passes the CPS’ own public interest test.
Statistics published 27 November on GOV.UKshow there has been a 33% surge in people smuggling arrests, convictions and seizures of criminal cash and assets over the last 12 months.
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 strengthens law enforcement agencies’ capabilities to tackle organised immigration crime and deter illegal migration. These powers will, for example, make it a criminal offence to put lives in danger during a small boat crossing with offenders facing up to 6 years in prison. The Act's impact assessment analyses how enhanced sentencing powers and new offences are expected to disrupt organised immigration crime, making smuggling operations riskier and less profitable.
The CPS has welcomed the package of new offences as it equips prosecutors with another tool to fight organised immigration crime, especially those involving dangerous Channel crossings.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to the right to jury trial on the number of appeals and judicial review applications.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Following reforms to the criminal courts, appellants will continue to have the right to appeal convictions and sentences received in both magistrates’ courts and the Crown Court. Permission to appeal will be granted by the judiciary where the appeal has a real prospect of success.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Statutory Instrument, The Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025, on her Department's plans to phase out animal testing.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Statutory Instrument to amend the Public Order Act 2023 does not alter the Government’s commitment to phasing out animal testing or maintaining high standards of animal welfare. All establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) will remain subject to its full requirements. ASPA provides a robust regulatory framework that protects animals in science, including compliance checks and audits by the Home Office.
It is anticipated that amendments to the Public Order Act can help to safeguard animal welfare through enabling scientific establishments to continue their operations in compliance with ASPA without disruptions which could put at risk their activity to protect animals.
The Animals in Science Regulation Unit conducts announced and unannounced audits to ensure establishments comply with licence conditions, the Code of Practice, and ASPA. The Home Office has published guidance on administering and enforcing ASPA, alongside a Code of Practice that sets standards for the care and accommodation of animals used for scientific purposes.
The UK’s legal framework already requires that animals are only used in science where no validated alternatives exist. The Government is accelerating efforts to develop and adopt these alternatives. In November 2025 the Government published a strategy setting out a long-term vision for a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated except in exceptional circumstances, by creating a research and innovation system that drives the development and validation of alternative methods.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the draft Statutory Instrument, The Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 on animal welfare.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Statutory Instrument to amend the Public Order Act 2023 does not alter the Government’s commitment to phasing out animal testing or maintaining high standards of animal welfare. All establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) will remain subject to its full requirements. ASPA provides a robust regulatory framework that protects animals in science, including compliance checks and audits by the Home Office.
It is anticipated that amendments to the Public Order Act can help to safeguard animal welfare through enabling scientific establishments to continue their operations in compliance with ASPA without disruptions which could put at risk their activity to protect animals.
The Animals in Science Regulation Unit conducts announced and unannounced audits to ensure establishments comply with licence conditions, the Code of Practice, and ASPA. The Home Office has published guidance on administering and enforcing ASPA, alongside a Code of Practice that sets standards for the care and accommodation of animals used for scientific purposes.
The UK’s legal framework already requires that animals are only used in science where no validated alternatives exist. The Government is accelerating efforts to develop and adopt these alternatives. In November 2025 the Government published a strategy setting out a long-term vision for a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated except in exceptional circumstances, by creating a research and innovation system that drives the development and validation of alternative methods.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of pupils who completed two weeks of work experience in each of the last three years.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not hold published national data on the number of pupils who completed two weeks of work experience in the last three years. Schools currently report on whether pupils have had an experience of a workplace rather than the duration of that experience.
According to school and college performance data captured through the Compass+ online self-assessment tool, more students are experiencing workplaces than in previous years. Overall performance on Gatsby Benchmark 6 (experiences of workplaces) in the 2024/25 academic year improved by 2% points from 2023/24 to 74% on average for all schools and colleges.
The department is funding the Careers and Enterprise Company to deliver the first phase of activity to prepare schools and employers to deliver the government’s commitment to ensure every pupil has access to two weeks’ worth of work experience during their secondary education.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish his Department's analysis of any legal obligations owed by the Government to proceed with mayoral elections in (a) Greater Essex and (b) other areas in which 2026 inaugural mayoral elections were cancelled.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has announced that it is minded to hold inaugural mayoral elections for the four Devolution Priority Programme places that are also undertaking local government reorganisation in May 2028 rather than May 2026, so that areas can complete the reorganisation process before Mayors take office. This decision has been taken because devolution is strongest when it is built on strong foundations. The establishment of the Greater Essex Combined County Authority would be done via secondary legislation and this legislation would set out the date of the first mayoral elections, subject to the approval of both Houses of Parliament and the consent of the constituent councils.