Charlie Dewhirst MP: written questions 2026
686 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Gambling Commission: StaffDepartment for Digital, Culture, Media and SportTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18828More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the answer of 17 April 2026 to Question 123653 on Gambling Commission: Staff, whether Gambling Commission staff are (a) civil and (b) crown servants.
Answer: Gambling Commission staff are neither civil nor crown servants. They are public servants who act on behalf of the Crown to regulate the commercial gambling industry.
Answered 22 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPermanent Secretaries: SecondmentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18827More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the Second Permanent Secretary has been seconded to the Blavatnik School of Government; and whether the Civil Service is funding his salary.
Answer: The secondment to the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford forms part of the Civil Service's commitment to promoting the exchange of skills, knowledge and experience between government and external organisations. As is standard for s...
Answered 17 Aug 2026
Original Parliament recordGambling Commission: Public AppointmentsDepartment for Digital, Culture, Media and SportTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18826More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Gambling Commission on a timetable for a new permanent appointment for its chief executive.
Answer: The timetable for appointing a permanent Chief Executive to the Gambling Commission is a matter for the Gambling Commission’s Board. Any appointment will be subject to the Secretary of State agreeing terms and conditions.
Answered 22 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordUniteDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18825More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the status is of the Certification Officer’s investigation into the Unite trade union and the hotel development.
Answer: The Certification Officer has appointed an inspector to investigate the financial affairs of Unite the Union. The inspector's work is continuing and upon its conclusion, the Certification Officer will publish the report on the Certification Officer's webs...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordBuildings: SafetyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18274More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate has been made of the cost incurred by accountable persons for time spent by the Building Safety Regulator to determine building assessment certificate applic
Answer: The cost of a Building Assessment Certificate application varies due to the application's complexity and quality. For applications submitted and determined between 1st January 2025 and 31st March 2026, the average cost is £15,561. The Building Safety Regu...
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordConditions of EmploymentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 8 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 17156More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what is his planned timetable for (a) consulting on and (b) implementing the right to switch off and the associated Statutory Code of Practice.
Answer: The Government recognises the risks of blurred boundaries between work and home. At the same time, it is important that employers can contact their workers when they have a legitimate need to do so. Government is undertaking work to gather evidence to dev...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordElectoral Commission: CybersecurityMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 7 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16721More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111737 on Electoral Commission: Cybersecurity, whether the National Cyber Security Centre received representations in
Answer: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) handles any reports it receives relating to cyber incidents in confidence and so it would not be appropriate to comment on any such engagements. More generally, however, defending democracy is a priority for the N...
Answered 13 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 7 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16720More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the press release, social media to be banned for under-16s in landmark government move to give kids their childhood back, 15 June 2026, whether the Government’s new Di
Answer: Following the Government’s announcement that it will restrict social media access for under-16s, the Secretary of State asked Ofcom to conduct a rapid assessment of what will constitute highly effective age assurance and what is fair and accessible. Ofcom...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Science, Innovation and Technology: Working HoursDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15827More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the answer of 11 March 2026, to Question 110793, on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Flexible Working, how many and what proportion of full-time
Answer: 470 full-time employees are recorded as working compressed hours, representing 12.0% of all full-time employees. However, the department cannot determine from Oracle how many of these employees work their hours over four days rather than another compresse...
Answered 16 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordInformation Commissioner's Office: PayDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15826More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent steps the Information Commissioner has taken to link (a) bonuses and (b) pay rises for staff who meet Equality, Diversity and Inclusion objectives.
Answer: The ICO is responsible for its own staffing, pay and operational decisions. It is an independent regulator accountable to Parliament.The ICO does not pay bonuses and there have not been any recent changes to pay arrangements linked to the ICO's Equality, ...
Answered 13 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Business and Trade: ChinaDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15825More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the answer of 16 April 2026, to Question 126612, on China: Clean Energy, whether (a) Memorandums of Understanding and (b) non-legally binding agreements have been agreed between the (
Answer: We do not normally publish the details of non-legally binding agreements with other countries, including MoUs.
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordGambling Commission: Legal OpinionDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15824More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the answer of 21 April 2026, to Question 126621, on Gambling Commission: Legal Opinion, how many prior approvals have been awarded in the last 12 months.
Answer: All employees of the Gambling Commission are required to declare any intention to work in the regulated gambling sector, including consultancy. This is dealt with under a conflict of interest procedure, requiring sign off from a member of the executive te...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordGambling Commission: Legal OpinionDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15823More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the answer of 21 April 2026 to Question 126621 on Gambling Commission: Legal Opinion, in what circumstances may joining a consultancy that advises the gambling industry require
Answer: All employees of the Gambling Commission are required to declare any intention to work in the regulated gambling sector, including consultancy. This is dealt with under a conflict of interest procedure, requiring sign off from a member of the executive te...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport: EqualityDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15822More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many departmental staff work on equality, diversity and inclusion roles.
Answer: There are less than five staff members within DCMS who hold equality, diversity, and inclusion roles.
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport: Working HoursDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15821More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the answer of 11 March 2026, to Question 110793, on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Flexible Working, how many and what proportion of full-time staff on f
Answer: As of 1 July 2026, 46 full-time civil servants at the Department work compressed hours over a four-day week. This represents 4.0% of the Department’s 1,158 civil servants. Figures do not include staff currently on a career break. DCMS remains committed to...
Answered 13 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordJam: LabellingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15820More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of proposed revisions to jam on the (a) taste and (b) cost of jam.
Answer: The Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement is still being negotiated and the final list of legislation in scope remains subject to negotiations. The Government has begun publishing sector specific information to help businesses get ready. Changes to j...
Answered 16 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: RegulationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15819More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Regulatory Policy Committee document, "Post-implementation reviews outstanding across government 2015 to 2026", updated 12 May 2026, what steps is the department
Answer: The Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) identified one outstanding Post Implementation Review for Defra: The Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018, commonly known as Farming Rules for Water. The Department has...
Answered 9 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Government Communication ServiceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15818More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 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 Serv
Answer: All embedded communicators are members of the Government Communication Service.
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment of Health and Social Care: Working HoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15817More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of full-time staff on full pay (1.0 FTE) in the department work compressed hours over a four day week.
Answer: The Department is required by law to consider flexible working requests. Compressed hours is a form of flexible working which refers to any type of working arrangement that gives some degree of flexibility around how long, where or when an individual work...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment of Health and Social Care: International CooperationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15816More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will list each Non-Legally Binding Instruments that has been signed by the department and its Arms Length Bodies since July 2024 other than those subject to the sensitive diplomatic, security
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 17 June in response to Question 8068.
Answered 18 Aug 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: GenderDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15815More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance has (a) his Department, (b) NHS England and (c) MHPRA provides to NHS bodies and his Department’s arm’s length bodies on (a) the expression of gender critical views and (b) recognitio
Answer: No specific guidance has been issued. The Department expects its arm’s-length bodies and the National Health Service to adhere to the Equality Act 2010, which protects everyone against discrimination on the basis of the protected characteristics set out i...
Answered 13 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordInsolvency: 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 recordDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport: MarketingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15571More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the cost it has spent on branded goods and merchandise.
Answer: DCMS spent £2,970 on 1,500 VE Day 80 branded lanyards in 2025 to support the safe delivery of the commemorative events. Lanyards help identify authorised personnel and manage access within a secure event footprint.
Answered 10 Jul 2026
Original Parliament record
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