Charlie Dewhirst MP: written questions

Written questions

• Food: LabellingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15237More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the answer of 21 April 2026, to Question 125703, on Food: Labelling, whether the SPS agreement will lead to foods other than fruit jams, jellies & marmalades being re

  Answer: The Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement is still being negotiated and the final list of legislation in scope remains subject to negotiations. This Government has begun publishing sector specific information to help businesses get ready. As set out ...

  Answered 9 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Food: InsectsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15236More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the "Thematic report on emerging food innovations in the UK", published by the Food Standards Agency on 13 March 2026, whether it is the policy of HM Government to pr

  Answer: The Government currently has no plans to promote eating insects. The ‘Thematic report on emerging food innovations in the UK’ is one of the resources published by the FSA and FSS on the Innovative Food Guidance Hub. The report provides a forward look of e...

  Answered 6 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Written QuestionsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 1 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15235More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to facilitate the answering of written Parliamentary Questions by Hon Members about operational matters of Arts Council of England, by copying or depositing the rep

  Answer: As noted in the Cabinet Office Guide to Parliamentary Work, there is no provision for arm’s length bodies such as Arts Council England (ACE) to provide a reply directly to Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs). DCMS strives to provide full responses to a...

  Answered 13 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• EU 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 record
• Conditions 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 record
• UK 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 record
• Social Media: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 1 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15231More

  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", of 15 June 2026, at what time of the evenin

  Answer: Keeping children safe online is a priority for this government. On 15 June, the government published a progress statement following the ‘Growing up in the Online World’ consultation.This announced that government were banning social media companies offeri...

  Answered 6 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Research: Disclosure of InformationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 1 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15230More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Government Office for Science provides guidance to Departments on the requirements to publish Area of Research Interest.

  Answer: The Government Office for Science (GO-Science) provides guidance to departments on the publication of Areas of Research Interest (ARIs). GO-Science published updated guidance on GOV.UK in November 2024, which advises ministerial departments, non-ministeri...

  Answered 10 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Space Weather: National SecurityDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 1 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15229More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the recommendations in the National Audit Office report entitled The UK’s resilience to severe space weather, HC1737, March 2026.

  Answer: The Government welcomes the National Audit Office’s report, The UK’s resilience to severe space weather, and recognises the value of its recommendations in strengthening the United Kingdom’s resilience to this national risk. The report identified progress...

  Answered 10 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Civil Service: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14626More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 920, on Civil Service: Artificial Intelligence, what trials have taken place on AI and public service productivity.

  Answer: The Government has delivered a range of trials on AI and public service productivity. The Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI) tested Consult, a tool to analyse consultation responses, on seven live consultations during 2025, saving around 8,000 h...

  Answered 8 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: EqualityDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14625More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the answer of 12 December 2024, to Question 17808, on DSIT: Equality, if he will place a copy of the updated guidance in the Library of the House.

  Answer: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology published guidance for staff related to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in June 2024. We are updating this guidance to reflect our recently published Equality Objectives and to provide additiona...

  Answered 8 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Lord MandelsonDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14624More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what correspondence his Department had with Global Counsel in the period that Lord Mandelson was Ambassador to the United States.

  Answer: There was no formal correspondence, between DSIT Ministers and Global Counsel during the period specified.

  Answered 8 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: SecondmentDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14623More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will list the names of the organisations that have (a) had departmental Civil Servants seconded to them since July 2024, and (b) seconded organisational staff to the department.

  Answer: DSIT has hosted secondees from and sent secondees to a wide variety of organisations since 2024. As a matter of policy, we do not comment on individual secondment circumstances to ensure GDPR compliance.

  Answered 16 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Business: 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 record
• UK Soft Power CouncilDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14621More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she last attended the UK Soft Power Council.

  Answer: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport attended the third Soft Power Council meeting, which was held on 23 July 2025 at the Tate Modern. The fourth Soft Power Council meeting (the last one to be held) was chaired by the Minister of State at D...

  Answered 3 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport: SecondmentDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14620More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which organisations have (a) had departmental Civil Servants seconded to them and (b) seconded organisational staff to her Department since July 2024.

  Answer: Since July 2024, staff have been seconded to the following organisations: Sports Grounds Safety AuthorityTateThe Independent Football RegulatorEast Midlands Combined Country Authority (EMCCA)Office for StudentsReclaim Fund LtdNational Lottery Fund Since J...

  Answered 8 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Angling: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14619More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what savings her Department has made to communications and marketing spending by cancelling the Environment Agency Fishing Licence Marketing Campaign since July 2024.

  Answer: Following a Government wide review of campaigns with over 100k spend, it was communicated in September 2024 that the EA fishing licence campaign would not continue in 25/26. At this point the campaign's marketing budget for 24/25 (300k) had already been u...

  Answered 9 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Social MediaDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14618More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on social influencers directly and via contractors since 4 July 2024.

  Answer: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not spent any money on social influencers directly or via contractors since 4 July 2024.

  Answered 9 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Countryside: Ethnic GroupsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14617More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether guidance has been given to National Park Authorities on access to the countryside by ethnic minorities.

  Answer: The Government recognises that currently access to nature is unequal, where people living in more deprived areas, ethnic minorities and younger people are more likely to live in areas with less access to green space. The Government supports the work Prote...

  Answered 6 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: SecondmentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14616More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which organisations have (a) had departmental Civil Servants seconded to them and (b) seconded organisational staff to her Department since July 2024.

  Answer: Since July 2024, a total of 45 organisations had Civil Servants seconded to them from Defra whilst in the same period, Defra received secondees from a total of 22 organisations.

  Answered 9 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: SecondmentDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14615More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2026 to Question 6089 on DESNZ: Secondment, to what policy area and part of his Department staff from (a) the IPPR and (b) TUC were seconded.

  Answer: An individual from the IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research) has been seconded to work in Energy Infrastructure Group on industrial strategy. An individual from the TUC (Trades Union Congress) has been seconded to work in Energy Infrastructure Group...

  Answered 8 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Asia House and David TaylorDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14614More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether special advisers in his Department have had meetings with (a) David Taylor and (b) Asia House since 4 July 2024.

  Answer: There have been no meetings between the special advisers for the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and David Taylor or Asia House.

  Answered 6 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Department of Health and Social Care: Freud CommunicationsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14613More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what expenditure (a) his Department and (b) NHS England has undertaken via Freuds since July 2024, including via subcontractors.

  Answer: The Department holds a contract with AMV, previously MullenLowe, which was procured following a competition under the CCS/GCA RM6125 Campaign Solutions Framework. The contract provides access to various subcontractors, including Freuds. Spend with AMV is ...

  Answered 10 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Health Mission BoardDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14612More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the answer of 10 April 2026 to Question 122498, what the names and membership are of the delivery-focused forums other than the departmental board.

  Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, is delivering our Health Mission. Ministers and officials are involved in a range of meetings to deliver the 10-Year Health Plan. Oversight is maintained by the Departmental Board.

  Answered 16 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Department of Health and Social Care: Facilities AgreementsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14611More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) his Department and (b) NHS England plan to issue revised guidance on trade union facility time in (i) the NHS and (ii) Arm’s Length Bodies.

  Answer: There are currently no plans for the Department or NHS England to issue revised guidance on trade union facility time. Existing relevant legislative provisions are outlined in the ACAS Code of Practice on time off for trade union duties and activities and...

  Answered 10 Jul 2026

  Original Parliament record