Helen Whately MP: written questions

4 Jul 2025–3 Jul 2026

How these years work

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.

237 published records · newest first.

Written questions

  • Labour Market: Coastal Areas and Rural AreasDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 22 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69967More

    Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on the labour market in (a) rural and (b) coastal communities.

    Answer: My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.

    Answered 3 Sept 2025

    Original Parliament record
  • Unemployment: Young PeopleDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 22 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69966More

    Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on the number of young people not in education, employment or training.

    Answer: My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.

    Answered 3 Sept 2025

    Original Parliament record
  • EmploymentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 22 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69965More

    Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has conducted a sectoral analysis of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on employment levels.

    Answer: My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.

    Answered 3 Sept 2025

    Original Parliament record
  • JobcentresDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 22 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69964More

    Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on the caseload of Jobcentre Plus offices.

    Answer: My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.

    Answered 3 Sept 2025

    Original Parliament record
  • EmploymentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 22 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69963More

    Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on levels of regional employment.

    Answer: My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.

    Answered 3 Sept 2025

    Original Parliament record
  • Offensive Weapons: Animal WelfareHome OfficeTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67799More

    Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the potential merits of introducing (a) specific criminal offences and (b) criminal sanctions for

    Answer: In view of the ongoing concerns about the misuse of catapults, especially against wildlife, I have written to Dan Zeichner MP, the relevant Minister in DEFRA, who has responsibility for the protection of animals and birds.

    Answered 23 Jul 2025

    Original Parliament record
  • Offensive Weapons: RegulationHome OfficeTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66600More

    Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has plans to review the regulation of (a) hand-held catapults and (b) slingshots with a wrist-brace attachment.

    Answer: I have asked Home Office officials to keep the law in this area under review. There are existing powers available for the police to tackle the misuse of catapults for anti-social behaviour or against people or property.I understand that there is a particu...

    Answered 18 Jul 2025

    Original Parliament record
  • Animal Welfare: Offensive WeaponsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66599More

    Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidents of the use of catapults causing harm to wild mammals have been recorded in each of the last five years.

    Answer: The Government takes wildlife crime seriously. Defra supports the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threa...

    Answered 18 Jul 2025

    Original Parliament record
  • Animal Welfare: Offensive WeaponsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66598More

    Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to address the use of catapults in causing suffering to (a) pets and (b) wild mammals.

    Answer: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales. While it does not specifically include catapults in the list of weapons that must not be used to kill wildlife, it is still illegal to deliberately a...

    Answered 18 Jul 2025

    Original Parliament record
  • Animal Welfare: Offensive WeaponsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66597More

    Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has any plans to review the regulation of catapults in relation to animal welfare concerns.

    Answer: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales. While it does not specifically include catapults in the list of weapons that must not be used to kill wildlife, it is still illegal to deliberately a...

    Answered 18 Jul 2025

    Original Parliament record
  • Animal Welfare: Offensive WeaponsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66596More

    Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the legal (a) sale and (b) possession of catapults on animal welfare.

    Answer: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales. While it does not specifically include catapults in the list of weapons that must not be used to kill wildlife, it is still illegal to deliberately a...

    Answered 18 Jul 2025

    Original Parliament record
  • Animal Welfare: ProsecutionsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66237More

    Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of legislation for (a) deterring and (b) prosecuting people who attack (i) wildlife and (ii) livestock with catapults; an

    Answer: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales. While it does not specifically include catapults in the list of weapons that must not be used to kill wildlife, it is still illegal to deliberately a...

    Answered 17 Jul 2025

    Original Parliament record
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Written questions by answering department

4 Jul 2025–3 Jul 2026. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality.

View as listCabinet Office: 2Cabinet Office2Department for Business and Trade: 5Department for Business and Trade5Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: 1Department for Energy Security …1Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: 8Department for Environment, Foo…8Department for Transport: 7Department for Transport7Department for Work and Pensions: 178Department for Work and Pensions178Department of Health and Social Care: 1Department of Health and Social…1Home Office: 7Home Office7Ministry of Defence: 1Ministry of Defence1Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: 2Ministry of Housing, Communitie…2Treasury: 25Treasury25
What this shows and doesn't show
4 Jul 2025–3 Jul 2026. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality. Published records do not measure effort or effectiveness. Methodology.
Department or topicPublished records
Cabinet Office2
Department for Business and Trade5
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero1
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs8
Department for Transport7
Department for Work and Pensions178
Department of Health and Social Care1
Home Office7
Ministry of Defence1
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government2
Treasury25

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