Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on partnership working with community-based men’s mental health organisations.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department continues to work closely with NHS England to improve outcomes for men, including through a shared focus on suicide prevention.
The Men’s Health Strategy seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of all men in England, including by tackling men’s mental health. The strategy includes investment in community-based men's health and suicide prevention programmes, and a groundbreaking partnership with the Premier League to make sure people know what mental health support is available to them. This builds on the important work already being undertaken by community organisations in Essex, including Men's Sheds, Andy's Man Club and local Mind services, which help men access support within their communities.
The Suicide Prevention Support Pathfinders Programme for middle-aged men will tackle this inequality by investing up to £3.6 million over the next three years. The programme is currently being designed and will seek to improve timely access to neighbourhood-based support for middle-aged men and to strengthen joined-up pathways between services.
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 funding will be available to schools to support a) PE, b) sport and c) swimming provision in the period between the end of the Primary PE and Sport Premium and the introduction of the PE and School Sport Partnerships Network.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
We are investing over £1 billion for PE and school sport over three years, including £530 million for a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network. Detailed design and funding allocations will be confirmed through the procurement process, but the approach will focus on ensuring support reaches those most in need.
Despite sustained investment through the PE and sport premium for over a decade, less than half of children are meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation of 60 active minutes a day. In addition, persistent inequalities remain, with groups such as girls and those from disadvantaged and ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Our new approach, which is supported by the major sports governing bodies and the wider school sport sector, focuses on securing higher quality PE and school sport for all children and reducing inactivity amongst those who are currently least active.
It combines both a universal offer to all primary and secondary schools, which includes school requested intervention, plus targeted direct support for those schools and pupils who will benefit from it the most. This includes coaching, swimming provision and support to open facilities, as well as stronger links to extra‑curricular sport and local clubs. We will also provide targeted funding for schools to test and share effective practice, alongside more accessible programmes from National Governing Bodies and clearer pathways into community sport. Provision will be informed by baseline and ongoing needs assessments led by a national delivery partner.
To support schools with the transition to this new approach, the government has committed to a transitional Premium payment of £150 million for the 2026/27 academic year.
In response to longstanding calls from schools, we are also investing almost £200 million in capital funding to go towards improving school sporting facilities.
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 impact of the transitional period between the end of the Primary PE and Sports Premium and the introduction of the PE and School Sport Partnerships Network on schools’ budgets.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
We are investing over £1 billion for PE and school sport over three years, including £530 million for a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network. Detailed design and funding allocations will be confirmed through the procurement process, but the approach will focus on ensuring support reaches those most in need.
Despite sustained investment through the PE and sport premium for over a decade, less than half of children are meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation of 60 active minutes a day. In addition, persistent inequalities remain, with groups such as girls and those from disadvantaged and ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Our new approach, which is supported by the major sports governing bodies and the wider school sport sector, focuses on securing higher quality PE and school sport for all children and reducing inactivity amongst those who are currently least active.
It combines both a universal offer to all primary and secondary schools, which includes school requested intervention, plus targeted direct support for those schools and pupils who will benefit from it the most. This includes coaching, swimming provision and support to open facilities, as well as stronger links to extra‑curricular sport and local clubs. We will also provide targeted funding for schools to test and share effective practice, alongside more accessible programmes from National Governing Bodies and clearer pathways into community sport. Provision will be informed by baseline and ongoing needs assessments led by a national delivery partner.
To support schools with the transition to this new approach, the government has committed to a transitional Premium payment of £150 million for the 2026/27 academic year.
In response to longstanding calls from schools, we are also investing almost £200 million in capital funding to go towards improving school sporting facilities.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled £1bn boost to PE and school sport to end fitness postcode lottery, published 21 May 2026, what funding individual primary schools will receive under the PE and School Sport Partnerships Network from Spring 2027.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
We are investing over £1 billion for PE and school sport over three years, including £530 million for a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network. Detailed design and funding allocations will be confirmed through the procurement process, but the approach will focus on ensuring support reaches those most in need.
Despite sustained investment through the PE and sport premium for over a decade, less than half of children are meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation of 60 active minutes a day. In addition, persistent inequalities remain, with groups such as girls and those from disadvantaged and ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Our new approach, which is supported by the major sports governing bodies and the wider school sport sector, focuses on securing higher quality PE and school sport for all children and reducing inactivity amongst those who are currently least active.
It combines both a universal offer to all primary and secondary schools, which includes school requested intervention, plus targeted direct support for those schools and pupils who will benefit from it the most. This includes coaching, swimming provision and support to open facilities, as well as stronger links to extra‑curricular sport and local clubs. We will also provide targeted funding for schools to test and share effective practice, alongside more accessible programmes from National Governing Bodies and clearer pathways into community sport. Provision will be informed by baseline and ongoing needs assessments led by a national delivery partner.
To support schools with the transition to this new approach, the government has committed to a transitional Premium payment of £150 million for the 2026/27 academic year.
In response to longstanding calls from schools, we are also investing almost £200 million in capital funding to go towards improving school sporting facilities.
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, whether applicants for student visas are subject to security screening in relation to a) extremist activity and b) support for proscribed organisations.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The UK operates robust security and suitability checks on all visa applications, including applications under the Student route. As part of this consideration of an application, information provided by the applicant may be checked against a range of government and law enforcement equities, where appropriate.
Engagement in extremist activity and support for proscribed organisations are both relevant considerations in the assessment of an applicant’s suitability.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK to set end date for imports of Russian diesel and jet fuel via third countries, published on 12 June 2026, what criteria he will use to determine whether the temporary licence can be withdrawn before 1 January 2027.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The licences support flexibility in UK supply and global markets. Regulation 76 of the Russia Regulations (2019) requires businesses to notify Government within 30 days of use, due to low volumes, figures notified to Government on diesel and jet fuel imported into the UK are suppressed to prevent the identification of individuals or businesses. Notification of Russian crude in UK supply chains is a new requirement under the general licence. We do not have comparative data to show trends of imports before this.
The Government has committed to reviewing the licence every two weeks. This involves continually assessing its impact on energy supply, market conditions and other relevant considerations, against our objective to lift the licence as soon as is practicable. As part of this process, we have set an end date of 1 January 2027.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK to set end date for imports of Russian diesel and jet fuel via third countries, published on 12 June 2026, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of Russian crude oil entering UK supply chains after processing in third countries.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The licences support flexibility in UK supply and global markets. Regulation 76 of the Russia Regulations (2019) requires businesses to notify Government within 30 days of use, due to low volumes, figures notified to Government on diesel and jet fuel imported into the UK are suppressed to prevent the identification of individuals or businesses. Notification of Russian crude in UK supply chains is a new requirement under the general licence. We do not have comparative data to show trends of imports before this.
The Government has committed to reviewing the licence every two weeks. This involves continually assessing its impact on energy supply, market conditions and other relevant considerations, against our objective to lift the licence as soon as is practicable. As part of this process, we have set an end date of 1 January 2027.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK to set end date for imports of Russian diesel and jet fuel via third countries, published on 12 June 2026, what estimate he has made of the volume of diesel and jet fuel imported into the UK under the temporary licence since 20 May 2026.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The licences support flexibility in UK supply and global markets. Regulation 76 of the Russia Regulations (2019) requires businesses to notify Government within 30 days of use, due to low volumes, figures notified to Government on diesel and jet fuel imported into the UK are suppressed to prevent the identification of individuals or businesses. Notification of Russian crude in UK supply chains is a new requirement under the general licence. We do not have comparative data to show trends of imports before this.
The Government has committed to reviewing the licence every two weeks. This involves continually assessing its impact on energy supply, market conditions and other relevant considerations, against our objective to lift the licence as soon as is practicable. As part of this process, we have set an end date of 1 January 2027.
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, whether police forces are required to refer incidents of animal cruelty involving people under the age of 18 to a) safeguarding agencies and b) Youth Offending Teams.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Police forces are operationally independent from Government. Chief Constables and their officers are responsible for determining what action is appropriate in individual cases, including when information should be shared with relevant safeguarding partners, local authorities or other agencies.
The statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children sets out clear expectation that safeguarding partners must work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Practitioners should be alert to children showing signs of being drawn into anti-social or criminal behaviour and should consider whether a referral to local authority children's social care, or Youth Offending Team, is required.
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, with reference to Part 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Bill, what estimate has been made of the annual amount expected to be recovered through contributions from recipients of asylum support.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Immigration and Asylum Bill introduces the principle that, where a person has received taxpayer-funded asylum support and later becomes financially able to contribute towards those costs, it is right and fair that they should do so.
Contribution levels will be designed to be fair and proportionate. The payment will take the form of a flat-rate charge, with eligible adults paying off an amount above a set threshold. Payments will be linked to receiving settled status in this country. Those who have received support and been removed from the country will not be able to return until their debt is repaid.
The detailed design of the scheme, including repayment thresholds, exemptions, repayment rates, mechanisms for collection and operational delivery, will be set out in secondary legislation. Draft regulations will be shared during the passage of the Immigration and Asylum Bill through Parliament.
As these elements have not yet been finalised, it would be premature to provide an estimate of the administrative cost of the scheme, future revenue, or a specific repayment amount. An estimate will be calculated once the detailed design of the scheme is finalised.