Charlie Dewhirst MP: written questions
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Written questions
Overseas Investment: Western SaharaDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50319More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to encourage UK companies to invest in Morocco’s Western Sahara region, in the context of (a) levels of (i) economic growth and (ii) infrastructure development in th
Answer: It is for companies to make their own decisions regarding investments in Western Sahara, as in any other region, based on the information available to them including from the Department of Business and Trade.Products originating in Western Sahara, subject...
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordIran: Polisario FrontForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50318More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with regional allies on tackling Iran's alleged (a) involvement in training Polisario militias and (b) strategy to destabilise the regio
Answer: The UK has not seen requisite evidence to raise concerns with allies regarding the allegation of Iranian involvement in training of Polisario Front. However, we continue to monitor Iranian activity in the region. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development ...
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHezbollah and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: Polisario FrontForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50317More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on whether (a) the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and (b) Hezbollah have provided military training and drone technology to the Polis
Answer: We do not have information to confirm the allegation of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or Hezbollah provision of military training and drone technology to the Polisario Front. We continue to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and m...
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPolisario FrontHome OfficeTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50316More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of proscribing membership of the Polisario Front.
Answer: Whilst the Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under constant review, we do not routinely comment on intelligence and security matters, including whether or not an organisation is under consideration for proscription.
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMorocco: SahelForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50315More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the policies of the Moroccan government on providing aid for (a) security and (b) development
Answer: The UK and Morocco share concern about the security and development issues faced by Sahelian countries. In the Sahel, the UK provided £177 million in bilateral Official Developmental Assistance in the financial year ending in 2025, including £46 million o...
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEast Coast Main Line: SunderlandDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48696More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason LNER has withdrawn its London to Sunderland services from the East Coast Main Line timetable.
Answer: The recast timetable being implemented in December 2025 can no longer accommodate the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) service. This was made clear in the 2021 consultation.The new December 2025 East Coast Timetable change will see additional services ...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEast Coast Main Line: Bradford and Kingston upon HullDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48695More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the costs to LNER of operating once-a-day train services to (a) Hull and (b) Bradford.
Answer: London North Eastern Railway (LNER) already operates one service a day to Hull and two services a day, increasing to seven next month, to Bradford. The cost of these services are included within LNER's annual budget agreed by the Department.
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British RailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48694More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been (a) allocated to and (b) spent by the Great British Railways Transition Team since it was established; and how many external consultants were employed by that team on 28 April 2025.
Answer: The Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) was set up as a temporary organisation under the previous government to design and transition towards Great British Railways, including building cross-industry capability. Total funding allocated to GBRTT...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: CompetitionDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48693More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with (a) Network Rail and (b) the Office of Rail and Road on the necessary provision of information by Network Rail to the Office of Rail and Road, so the Office of Rail and Road ca
Answer: The Department for Transport works closely with both the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and Network Rail to ensure that information to inform access decisions is provided in as timely a manner as possible. However, it is important that decisions are fully ...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48264More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the CBI Economics' report entitled The Economic and Fiscal Impacts of Changes to BPR and APR, published in March 2025, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the repor
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The reforms reduce the inherita...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: AccessDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47452More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made with the Office of Rail and Road and Network Rail on (a) identifying unused track access rights and (b) making underused rail capacity available to open access operators.
Answer: Identification and address of unused track access rights is through the robust industry process for maintenance of rights in accordance with the Network Code, applied by the Operators and Network Rail as overseen by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). Open...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordTrain Operating Companies: Land and PropertyDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47451More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the amount of land owned by Train Operating Companies that is (a) unused, (b) undeveloped and (c) available for commercial use.
Answer: The Department does not hold information on land owned by train operating companies as they do not typically own land; rather they lease stations and pay track and depot access charges to the relevant infrastructure owner.
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNetwork Rail: Land and PropertyDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47450More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the amount of (a) land and (b) property estate owned by Network Rail that is (i) unused, (ii) under-developed and (iii) available for commercial use.
Answer: Network Rail owns c.52,000 hectares of land. All of Network Rail’s land is deemed to be operational and required for the specific functioning of the railway network. Land can only be deemed surplus once it has gone through a regulatory process governed by...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: WalesWales OfficeTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 903797More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes in the level of the employer National Insurance contributions on the economy in Wales.
Answer: The government recognises the need to protect the smallest employers which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change. SMEs account for 99.3...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: ReviewsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44761More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish the Terms of Reference for the appointment of Baroness Batters to lead a Farm Profitability Review.
Answer: The Terms of Reference for Baroness Minette Batters’ review of farm profitability were published on 7 April 2025 - Farming Profitability Review: terms of reference - GOV.UK.
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Freedom of ExpressionCabinet OfficeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43234More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2024 to Question 14067 on Civil Servants: Freedom of Expression, whether the (a) the Civil Service People Group and (b) Office for Equality and Opportunity are taking steps t
Answer: The Civil Service is committed to creating a safe and supportive work environment for all its employees and will not tolerate any form of harassment, unacceptable behaviour or abuse by any party, towards any employee. Departments have their own polici...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMinisters' Private Offices: Official CarsCabinet OfficeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43233More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 34459 on Government Departments: Official Cars, whether the decision on whether specific departmental officials may have use of a car from the Government Car Se
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer to Question 34459. The arrangements relating to officials' use of vehicles from the Government Car Service are set out in the Civil Service Management Code. In particular, section 8.2.7 states the conditions under whi...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record9 Downing Street: MediaCabinet OfficeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43231More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 25454 on 9 Downing Street: Media, whether his Department has paid OCS; and in which month's transparency data will the cost of the works be published.
Answer: Payment will be made through the Government Property Agency, and the cost of these works will be published in due course in Cabinet Office transparency returns.
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrime Minister: Electronic Purchasing Card SolutionCabinet OfficeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43230More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the press release entitled Mass cancellation of government credit cards in crackdown on wasteful spend, published on 18 March 2025, how many Government Procurement Cards were held by 10 Downing
Answer: As of January 2025, 10 Downing Street held 45 Government Procurement Cards. In the Cabinet Office instructions were issued to the bank on 18 March 2025 to freeze the cards. The number of cards held by No. 10 remains under review.
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: EqualityCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42615More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many standalone equality, diversity and inclusion roles are employed by (a) his Department and (b) the Office for Equality and Opportunity.
Answer: There are 6 full-time equivalents working in standalone EDI roles. These sit in HR teams across the different Cabinet Office functions and the central HR team in line with the EDI Expenditure guidance published in May 2024, delivering statutory obligation...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Freedom of InformationCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42614More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 14976 on Cabinet Office and Prime Minister: Travel and with reference to the Freedom of Information Act response with reference FOI2025/01531, disclosed on
Answer: We have deposited a copy of the policy in the House library.
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Service Commission: Parliamentary QuestionsCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42613More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 8.1 of the Civil Service Commission Framework Agreement with the Cabinet Office, published in February 2025, what his policy is on substantively answering parliamentary questions on t
Answer: In line with paragraph 8.1 of the Framework Agreement, Cabinet Office Ministers will continue to answer parliamentary questions about the work of the Civil Service Commission, as the government department responsible for sponsoring the Commission, while r...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Freedom of InformationHome OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42612More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the National Police Chiefs' Council on the handling of FOI requests by the Central Referral Unit.
Answer: Responding to Freedom of Information requests and ensuring compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is a matter for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), or any public authority which receives such a request.
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Remote WorkingCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42606More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how his Department monitors the attendance of civil servants in Departmental headquarters outside of London.
Answer: Line Managers are expected to be aware of, and ensure compliance with, the minimum 60% expectation for their direct reports. This approach is the same both in and outside of London.
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: PhotographsCabinet OfficeTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42052More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many photographers are employed by Government Departments.
Answer: Departments may employ photographers in order to support government’s priorities, enable effective operation of public services and improve people’s lives. The Cabinet Office Communications team employs two Digital Media Officers who support government wo...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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