Charlie Dewhirst MP: written questions
4 Jul 2025–3 Jul 2026
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Our reporting years run from 4 July to 3 July, starting with the 2024 general election. They are not official parliamentary sessions. Office costs keep IPSA’s April–March financial years. Records may cover only part of a year; a missing record does not mean no work was done.
Read what this MP said, asked and contributed in Parliament.
21 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Insolvency: Data ProtectionDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15574More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what are the powers of (a) the Secretary of State, (b) Insolvency Service and (c) Insolvency Practitioners to request that corporate electronic communications held by a company in administration are re
Answer: Insolvency office-holders, including administrators, are responsible for securing a company's records upon their appointment. The Insolvency Service, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, may request relevant records are retained where it is conduct...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: MarketingDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15573More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2026 to Question 4161 on Government departments: marketing, how much has been spent on branded goods and merchandise by the Department since the Government Chief Commer
Answer: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) can confirm that it has incurred no expenditure on branded goods and events.
Answered 22 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Business and Trade: Government Communication ServiceDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15572More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Answer of 5 June 2026 to Question 3763 on Government Communications Service: Staff, and of 19 January 2026 to Question 104195 on Government Communication Service: Staff, how many
Answer: All embedded communicators are members of the Government Communication Service.
Answered 10 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordEU Files ForumDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 1 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15234More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Answer of 13 March 2026 to Question 117997 on EU Files Forum, if he will list the organisations that attended each of those meetings.
Answer: We would not release names of participants without their agreement.
Answered 10 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordConditions of EmploymentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 1 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15233More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the written statement on Implementing the Employment Rights Act: June Consultations on Employment Rights for Unpaid Carers, Time off for Public Duties and Government responses, HCWS10
Answer: The Government comprehensively reviewed the Time Off for Public Duties legislation and set out our findings in the Time Off for Public Duties Review Report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/time-off-for-public-duties-review-report). We are now c...
Answered 6 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordUK Trade with EUDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 1 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15232More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the "Letter from The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP to the Prime Minister", published 10 June 2026, if he will publish the minute of the meeting of 31 July 2024.
Answer: No. An overview of the purpose of all ministerial meetings, rather than the minutes of meetings is provided as part of the transparency returns on GOV.UK.
Answered 16 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness: RegulationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14622More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has a policy for reviews of regulations that have been introduced.
Answer: My Department regularly reviews regulations that have been introduced, including through statutory Post-Implementation Reviews (PIRs) where required. Through these reviews my department assesses whether regulations have achieved their objectives, whether ...
Answered 7 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Relations: RussiaDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6096More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether guidance has been given by HM Government to the UK public relations and public affairs industry on the (a) exporting of public relations and public affairs services to Russia, and (b) UK-based
Answer: Yes, we have. It is available here: guidance on professional services sanctions.To be clear, as I am sure the HM is aware, The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2022 prohibit any UK persons anywhere and other persons in the UK from providing profes...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRecruitment: FraudDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121077More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether (a) his department and (b) ACAS have issued on whether an employee can be summarily dismissed for gross misconduct if they lie or deceive when applying for the job.
Answer: There is government guidance on GOV.UK on summary dismissal for reasons relating to gross misconduct. Acas has issued both a statutory Code of Practice and non-statutory guidance covering gross misconduct. These do not specifically mention dismissal for l...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordProductivityDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 10 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119620More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on productivity; and what information his Department holds on the OBR having made such an assessment.
Answer: The Government has published a comprehensive assessment on the impact of the Act. It cites academic evidence linking stronger employment protections to improved productivity and highlights that better job security, wellbeing, and reduced undercutting of g...
Answered 16 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordTrade Agreements: MaldivesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117998More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2025, to Question HL12107, on Trade Agreements: Maldives, if he will list every country currently within the Free Trade Agreement programme, where HM Government is
Answer: Negotiations with the Republic of Korea on an upgraded Free Trade Agreement (FTA) have concluded and both sides are preparing for signature later this year. FTA negotiations continue with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Switzerland, Turkey and Greenla...
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEU Files ForumDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117997More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2025, to Question 91946, on EU Files Forum, on what dates the EU Files Forum has met since July 2024.
Answer: The Department for Business and Trade hosted the first official-level EU Files Forum with key UK Business Representative Organisations on 5 June 2025. The Forum meets on a quarterly basis to facilitate a dialogue between government and the UK business com...
Answered 13 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Business and Trade: Social MediaDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117996More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2026, to Question 107051, on DBT: Social Media, if he will name any other specific social media influencers who have been commissioned by the department or its cont
Answer: Apart from the 2025 National Minimum and Living Wage campaign, no other social media influencers have been commissioned by the Department or its contractors to undertake paid advertising for other campaigns or programmes since July 2024.Influencer marketi...
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordStamp Advisory CommitteeDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117995More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2026, to Question 107050, on Stamp Advisory Committee, on what dates those five meetings of the Committee took place.
Answer: The five meetings of the Stamp Advisory Committee which were attended by an official from the Department for Business and Trade took place, respectively, on 21 November 2024; 23 January 2025; 10 July 2025; 11 September 2025; and 20 November 2025.Additiona...
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordGovernment: ProcurementDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117994More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the transparency data entitled the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for July to September 2025 for all departments, published on 25 De
Answer: Government Departments are required to apply at least 10% weighting to Social Value in tender evaluations, in line with the Social Value Model. Additionally, procurement regulations require that for all contracts worth more than £5 million, departments re...
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Business and Trade: Public AppointmentsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106743More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 98107 on Department for Business and Trade: Public Appointments, whether any of those direct ministerial appointees have made a declaration of pol
Answer: Of the 30 direct ministerial appointees, 6 have declared political activity.Due diligence is conducted and individuals are required to complete a formal declaration of interests, in line with Cabinet Office guidance. These appointees deliver vital experti...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Business and Trade: Public AppointmentsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98107More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in his Department.
Answer: Direct ministerial appointments are published on GOV.UK in line with Cabinet Office best practice.Current direct ministerial appointments in the department are:Name(s) and Job TitleAnnual RemunerationTime Commitment Expected End DatePress Release LinkJon ...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Business and Trade: DirectorsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73351More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2025 to Question 64058 on DBT: Directors, whether the Commissioner for Public Appointments was informed of her political background when his Department made the request
Answer: The Commissioner for Public Appointments was consulted prior to Nita Clarke's appointment without open competition as a DBT Non-Executive Board Member, in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. As required under the Code, Nita Clarke declar...
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordBoard of TradeDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73350More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the written statement of 13 March 2025, HCWS517, on Board of Trade, when the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of all matters relating to Tra
Answer: The Board of Trade last met on the 21st May 2025.
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUnite: Conference Centres and HotelsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73349More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Certification Officer has received the BDO auditor's report on the Unite trade union's hotel and conference centre development.
Answer: The Certification Officer has received the BDO auditor's report and is currently reviewing this.
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCompanies: RegistrationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73348More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether applicants for company directorships on the Companies House register can nominate Palestinian as their nationality.
Answer: ‘Palestinian’ is included in the list of nationalities permitted for the purposes of company filings. The full list of nationalities and geographical names is available at the link below: Nationalities and countries for company filings - GOV.UK
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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4 Jul 2025–3 Jul 2026. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality.
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