Chi Onwurah MP: written questions
398 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Driverless VehiclesDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33878More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 25215 on Driverless Vehicles, which companies are members of the industry working group; and on how many occasions has this group met.
Answer: The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV’s) Industry Working Group (IWG) aims to strengthen collaboration between CCAV and the automated vehicle (AV) industry to support the development and implementation of the regulatory framework. The IWG...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordManchester United: FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33877More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what financial support the Government is providing for the redevelopment of Manchester United's Old Trafford ground.
Answer: There is no direct financial support committed for the redevelopment of Old Trafford football ground. Greater Manchester Combined Authority will receive around £630 million per annum through their integrated settlement from the start of the 2025-26 financ...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordExploitation: ChildrenHome OfficeTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of standardising the legal definition of criminal child exploitation for the purposes of having consistent national statistics on criminal child
Answer: This Government is committed to tackling child criminal exploitation (CCE) and going after the gangs who are luring children into violence and crime. Data from the Department for Education's Children in Need statistics allow us to estimate there were arou...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMinerals: IndustryDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33875More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the domestic critical minerals industry.
Answer: A secure supply of critical minerals is vital for the UK’s economic growth and security, industrial strategy, and clean energy transition. Government will work hand in hand with industry to publish a new Critical Minerals Strategy this year. The Critical ...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLithium: IndustryDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33874More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the lithium (a) extraction and (b) processing industry.
Answer: DBT regularly engages with the lithium extraction and processing industry. I will visit Cornwall this Spring to see first-hand the progress that the UK’s leading extractive and processing projects have made. Government has supported growing the lithium va...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBridges: Newcastle upon TyneDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33873More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure (a) the preservation and (b) contribute to celebrations of the Newcastle Swing Bridge as an industrial heritage asset.
Answer: The importance of Newcastle Swing Bridge, spanning the River Tyne, is recognised through its designation as a Scheduled Monument and as a Grade II* listed structure. Historic England, DCMS Arms-Length Body and government’s statutory adviser on the histori...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordVideo GamesDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33872More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support growth in the video game industry.
Answer: The Government recently announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios to develop new intellectual property and deliver the graduate talent development programmes Tranzfuser and Du...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: Digital TechnologyCabinet OfficeTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33871More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions his Department has had with trade unions on the digitalisation of Government.
Answer: The Cabinet Office regularly discusses workforce matters with trade unions.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordScience and Technology: Tax AllowancesDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33870More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to help ensure that tax incentives for science and technology are used to promote innovation.
Answer: Research and development (R&D) tax reliefs are vital to economic growth, and will support an estimated £56 billion of business R&D expenditure a year by 2029-30.In the Corporate Tax Roadmap, the Government committed to strengthening the administra...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordResearch: Career DevelopmentDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33869More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to publish a written response to the recommendations of the independent report entitled What works to attract and retain people into R&D careers, published on 10 Februa
Answer: The Government does not typically publish responses to independent research reports. The recommendations made by the Behavioural Insights Team in this report will be considered as part of the Department’s ongoing policy development to support our ambition...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordResearch: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33430More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of ending the entitlement of football clubs to claim research and development tax credits.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of Research and Development (R&D) in driving innovation and the benefits it can bring for society, where the R&D tax reliefs play a vital role in the Government’s mission to boost economic growth.All sector...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordElectronic Government: Digital TechnologyDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33429More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions his Department has had with trade unions on the digitalisation of Government.
Answer: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology regularly discusses workforce matters with trade unions.
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTechnical Advisory BoardHome OfficeTabled 12 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30995More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Technical Advisory Board (a) last met and (b) last provided advice to the Government.
Answer: For reasons of national security, we do comment in detail on the activities of the Technical Advisory Board (TAB), including if and when it provides advice.
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordTechnical Advisory BoardHome OfficeTabled 12 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30994More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who are the members of the Technical Advisory Board.
Answer: The membership of the Technical Advisory Board (TAB) is listed on the TAB’s GOV.UK webpage:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/technical-advisory-board/about/membership
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNuclear PowerDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29471More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Written Statement of 6 February 2025 on Consenting and Regulation of Nuclear Energy, HCWS419, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using the UK’s pluto
Answer: The Government has published a refreshed planning framework for new nuclear reactors (EN-7), including small and advanced modular reactors, for consultation. The new planning framework proposes to empower nuclear developers to identify potentially suitabl...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPlutoniumDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29470More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Written Statement of 24 January 2025 on Plutonium Disposition Strategy, HCWS388, if he will publish the basis for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s recommendation
Answer: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) conducted substantial technical, deliverability and economic analysis to identify a preferred option for a long-term disposition solution, considering options for immobilisation and reuse of the material as fuel...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNuclear PowerDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29469More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using the UK’s plutonium stockpile to generate electricity.
Answer: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) conducted substantial technical, deliverability and economic analysis to identify a preferred option for a long-term disposition solution for the UK-owned plutonium, considering options for immobilisation and re...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Eutelsat OneWebMinistry of DefenceTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29468More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential strategic value of OneWeb for supporting Ukraine.
Answer: The UK has provided a significant number of communication systems to Ukraine, including satellite-based systems, many of which have been integrated into a range of military capabilities. We have considered OneWeb as part of our support package, but, to da...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSoftware: ProcurementDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29467More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using procurement to support open source software development in the UK.
Answer: The UK has a strong open-source ecosystem, which has helped drive innovation and distribute the benefits of technology widely. The AI Opportunities Action Plan outlines how the government will maximise the potential for AI, including its support for open-...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial IntelligenceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29466More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of open source AI on the economy.
Answer: The UK has a strong open-source ecosystem and we recognise how open source can help support economic growth and innovation. The AI Opportunities Action Plan includes measures to help maximise this potential, including through commitments around open sourc...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: SoftwareDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29465More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much public money has been allocated for the development and maintenance of the AI tools (a) Scout, (b) Connect, and (c) Humphrey; and from which departmental budgets those funds ha
Answer: One of the functions of the new Government Digital Service is to incubate AI products and scale them into cross government services. As part of this funding for the development of Connect and Humphrey will come from the budget of the Incubator for Artific...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: SoftwareDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29464More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which organisations are responsible for (a) the development and (b) the maintenance of the (i) Scout, (ii) Connect, and (iii) Humphrey AI tools.
Answer: The Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI), which is part of the Government Digital Service, developed these tools. i.AI maintains Connect and the Humphrey GovAI toolkit. Scout will be maintained by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUSA: Development AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28907More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the suspension of USAID programmes on his Department's international development programmes.
Answer: We are currently working to assess the implications of the US funding pause across development sectors. We welcome the news that emergency food aid and life-saving humanitarian assistance should be exempt from the pause in US foreign aid. The UK's commitm...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordInternet: InfrastructureDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28485More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the (a) resilience and (b) reliability of cloud services, in the context of its plans to designate cloud services as Critical National I
Answer: The Government process for designating infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) requires an assessment of the sector’s resilience, and its reliability, in performing its essential function to society and the economy. This was assessed prio...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordInvestmentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28100More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support regional investment funds; and whether the Minister for Investment has met with (a) Northern Gritstone, (b) Midlands Mindforge and (c) other regional investment funds
Answer: The Department for Business and Trade supports regional investment funds by fostering growth, expanding their investor networks, and identifying opportunities for international collaboration. The Minister for Investment will look to meet North Gritstone, ...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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