Iain Duncan Smith MP: written questions
106 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Diplomatic Service: British Nationals AbroadForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28446More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will support legislative proposals to establish a legal right to consular assistance for British nationals.
Answer: The Government is committed to strengthening consular services, including introducing a right to consular assistance in cases of human rights violations. My department is considering a package of measures to achieve this, which we will announce in due cou...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: AdvertisingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27508More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with gambling (a) companies and (b) operators on (i) advertising to (A) children and (B) other vulnerable people and (ii) their compliance with advertising
Answer: As the Gambling Minister set out in her speech at the GambleAware conference in December 2024, the industry has now been set a clear task to further raise standards to ensure that gambling advertising is appropriate, responsible, and does not exacerbate h...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRoman AbramovichTreasuryTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27093More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to ensure that funds potentially owed by Roman Abramovich to HMRC are (a) investigated and (b) reclaimed.
Answer: I cannot comment on specific taxpayers or provide comment on individuals or businesses.However, at the Budget, the Government announced the most ambitious ever package to close the tax gap, to raise £6.5 billion in additional tax revenue per year by 2029-...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: AdvertisingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27092More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a ban on gambling advertisements in video games PEGI rated 18 and under.
Answer: Gambling operators must ensure that their advertising is not targeted at children and must not appear in media created for children or for which children make up 25% or more of the audience. Operators must also ensure that they take all reasonable steps t...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: AdvertisingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27091More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she has taken with the Advertising Standards Authority to tackle online gambling advertisements (a) targeting children and (b) failing to disclose the presence of (i) loot boxes and (i
Answer: Gambling operators must ensure that their advertising is not targeted at children and must not appear in media created for children or for which children make up 25% or more of the audience. Operators must also ensure that they take all reasonable steps t...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordChinese Embassy: Planning PermissionForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27090More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has received representations from the Metropolitan Police on the called-in application for the proposed new Chinese embassy.
Answer: The FCDO has not received any representations from the Metropolitan Police on the called-in application for the proposed new Chinese embassy.
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordGreentube AlderneyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24408More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of revoking the gambling licenses of Greentube Alderney Limited.
Answer: As the independent regulator, it is the Gambling Commission’s duty to ensure that operators comply with the requirements set out in the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice and to take appropriate regulatory action against those operators which fail t...
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024Department for Business and TradeTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24132More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to commence the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
Answer: On 1st January of this year, the government commenced Parts 1, 2 and 5 of the Act, which brought into force, among other reforms, the new pro-competition regime for digital markets. The government intends to commence the Act’s consumer enforcement reforms...
Answered 20 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordRyan CorneliusForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22882More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates to condemn the (a) detention of Ryan Cornelius in contravention of the ruling of the UN Working
Answer: FCDO Ministers regularly raise consular cases with their foreign counterparts. The Foreign Secretary last discussed Ryan Cornelius' case with the UAE Foreign Minister in December 2024. The FCDO takes the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention's opinions ...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHong Kong: CybersecurityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22881More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the information presented in the Hong Kong Legislative Council paper CB(2)1779/24-25(01) on 7 January 2025 and the reporting in Ming Pao on 8 January 2025,
Answer: The British Consulate General liaises closely with UK businesses operating in Hong Kong regarding local regulatory developments, including in relation to the Protection of Critical Infrastructure (Computer Systems) Bill currently before the Hong Kong Legi...
Answered 20 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordGamblingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 8 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22556More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an estimate of the number of high-street gambling operators in possession of non-remote bingo licenses that are operating as adult gambling centres.
Answer: As of 31 March 2024, there were 631 non-remote bingo premises in operation in Great Britain, according to the Gambling Commission’s November 2024 Industry Statistics.As set out in the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, in lice...
Answered 17 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: TaxationDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21257More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress she has made on the prevention framework under the statutory levy; and if she will take steps to ensure that prevention work is undertaken independently from (a) the gambling indust
Answer: As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation on the statutory levy, further consideration of the evidence is needed in order to appoint an appropriate body to lead the prevention strand of the levy system. We will confirm our decisions in d...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordChina: Press FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 18 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20915More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his counterparts in the People’s Republic of China on the expulsion of the British press corps from the room in which Xi Jinping and th
Answer: Members of the press were present at the start of the meeting between the Prime Minister and President Xi Jingping on November 18. It is standard practice in diplomatic meetings for the press to remain in the room for opening remarks only, as was the case...
Answered 7 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordChina: TaiwanForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 11 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19224More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the 1972 Communique on the Agreement between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Answer: The UK's longstanding position on Taiwan, as set out in the 1972 Communique, has not changed and remains the position of this Government.
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPetr AvenHome OfficeTabled 11 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19223More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will use her discretionary powers to redirect a portion of the £783,827 recovered from Petr Aven to support survivors of the conflict in Ukraine.
Answer: The NCA secured a forfeiture of Petr Aven’s funds after breaches of sanctions regulations. The allocation of forfeited funds under POCA is governed by the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS), a discretionary funding model that allocates returned ...
Answered 20 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordMoney Laundering: RussiaHome OfficeTabled 11 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19222More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will use her discretionary powers to redirect a portion of the cash and cryptocurrency seized by the National Crime Agency in Operation Destabilise for the benefit of survivors of the war in Uk
Answer: Operation Destabilise is an NCA-led operation, which has so far resulted in over £20 million in cash and cryptocurrency being seized. The allocation of recovered criminal funds under POCA is governed by the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS), a ...
Answered 18 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordHuman Rights and International Humanitarian LawTreasuryTabled 11 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19221More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to place on a statutory footing the ability to redirect a portion of funds recovered from sanctions violations penalti
Answer: The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) is responsible for issuing civil monetary penalties for breaches of financial sanctions. OFSI maintains a robust and effective toolkit for responding to breaches of financial sanctions, of which mone...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordCompanies: RegistrationTreasuryTabled 11 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19220More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the implications for her policies of reports that Chinese companies have registered more than 30,000 companies at UK addresses where the registered owners have no connection to
Answer: DBT and Companies House are moving at pace to implement the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2024, a principal purpose of which is to strengthen the powers of the Registrar of Companies to bear down on the abuse of corporate structures in the...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordFootball: GamblingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 10 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of a ban on gambling (a) sponsorship and (b) advertising in football.
Answer: As the Minister for Gambling set out in her speech at the GambleAware conference on 4 December, we want to see the gambling industry further raise standards to ensure that levels of gambling advertising does not exacerbate harm. This work will be monitore...
Answered 18 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordEmbassies: ChinaMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15717More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the Metropolitan Police on the called-in application for the proposed new Chinese embassy in Tower Hamlets.
Answer: Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on gov.uk as part of the government’s transparency agenda.An independent Planning Inspector will hold a public inquiry at which interested parties will be able to put forward eviden...
Answered 28 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordVAT: FraudTreasuryTabled 19 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14902More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to tackle VAT fraud; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals to extend Deemed Reseller rules to UK-established businesses.
Answer: Tax fraud undermines our economy, hurts legitimate businesses and robs our vital public services of much-needed funds. The government is clear in its commitment to closing the tax gap, and ensuring everyone pays the tax that is legally due. HMRC uses a wi...
Answered 27 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordGambling: MarketingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 12 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13730More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of Ipsos and the University of Bristol's report entitled Drivers of Gambling Marketing Restrictions – An Internationa
Answer: The Government is committed to strengthening protections to ensure that people can reduce the risks that can ensue from harmful gambling. We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence on the impact of gambling advertising from a wide range of ...
Answered 20 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordChinese Embassy: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12910More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of alternative sites for the prospective relocation of the Chinese Embassy, aside from the proposed developm
Answer: Applications relating to the proposals for a new Chinese Embassy at Royal Mint Court have been called in for Ministers to decide. Calling in these applications should not be taken as any indication of views on the merits of the proposals.An appointed Insp...
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordGubad IbadoghluForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12682More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will raise the detention in Azerbaijan of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu during COP29 climate conference in November.
Answer: I [Minister Doughty] raised the detention of prominent academic Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov during our call on 31 October, and with Presidential Representative Elchin Amirbayov on 29 October. The UK consistently ad...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordMauritius: TelecommunicationsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12356More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Huawei's press article entitled, Safe Mauritius, the Inspiration for Heaven, published in October 2018, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the s
Answer: As previously referenced in the Answer to 10968, this is the subject of an ongoing police investigation in Mauritius, and we are unable to provide further comment. We continue to monitor the situation.
Answered 12 Nov 2024
Original Parliament record
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