Iain Duncan Smith MP: written questions 2025
118 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Ukraine: Religious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53455More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his counterpart in Ukraine on religious freedom, in the context of the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under law 3894.
Answer: We are deeply disturbed by the impact of Russia's illegal war on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Ukraine. In contrast, Ukraine's democracy is well known for its commitment to religious pluralism. The UK fully supports the intention behind Law 3894...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: OmbudsmanDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52579More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress her Department has made on the establishment of the gambling ombudsman.
Answer: We are looking at options for improving Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provision for customers, including the establishment of a gambling ombudsman. The Minister for Gambling will confirm our plans in due course.
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSurveillance: Minority GroupsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52578More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the use of surveillance technology by authoritarian governments to target religious minorities;
Answer: The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. We are working bilaterally and multilaterally to hold countries to account for repression of religious or belief minorities.The UK takes its export control responsib...
Answered 27 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRoyal Mint: DemonstrationsHome OfficeTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49304More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the Metropolitan Police on the cost of (a) overtime payments, (b) equipment, (c) special measures and (d) mutual aid from the policing of protests outside the Roya
Answer: The Home Secretary has regular meetings with all policing leaders, including the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), covering a range of matters.The police are operationally independent from the government. This means that the Home Offi...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: LicensingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48345More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve enforcement against unlicensed gambling operators.
Answer: We are committed to working closely with the Gambling Commission to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed.In the past year, the Commission has significantly increased its disruption activity and has a renewed focus on finding innova...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: InternetDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48344More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of enforcement action against unlicensed online gambling operators.
Answer: We are committed to working closely with the Gambling Commission to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed.In the past year, the Commission has significantly increased its disruption activity and has a renewed focus on finding innova...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAudiology: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48083More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to move toward patient self-referral for community audiology services as a default pathway in (a) Chingford and Woodford Green constituency and (b) England.
Answer: Community audiology services are commissioned by integrated care boards. The priorities and operational planning guidance states that systems are expected to put in place self-referral routes to community audiology services. This was reiterated in the Del...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordGlaucoma: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48082More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that community-based glaucoma (a) monitoring, (b) referral and (c) refinement services are made available to patients in (i) Chingford and Woodford Green constitue
Answer: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services in their local areas to meet patient need, and this will include services to meet the needs of patients with glaucoma.The North East London ICB has con...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNorth Korea: CryptocurrenciesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44895More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recent $1.5 billion cryptocurrency theft by North Korea; what steps he has taken to trace th
Answer: The UK Government is aware of reporting relating to the recent cyber activity linked to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, involving the cryptocurrency exchange ByBit. The UK has been consistent in challenging malicious cyber activity carried out ...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGamblingMinistry of JusticeTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44370More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department plans to take to improve training across all levels of the justice system on gambling-related harm.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice takes a person-centric approach to workplace wellbeing. Our support offer to individuals is delivered though the employee assistance programme, occupational health, staff networks and related policies. There have been a range of ev...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGamblingMinistry of JusticeTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44369More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to improve (a) awareness and (b) understanding of (i) gambling-related suicide and (ii) other gambling-related harm at all levels of the justice system.
Answer: In the Ministry of Justice, general training on wellbeing and resilience is available to all Civil Servants and we provide guidance to employees on suicide and self-harm. In previous Mental Health Awareness Weeks, specific events on ‘gambling addiction an...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44203More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions to Official Development Assistance Spending on (a) Gavi, (b) the Global Fund and (c) other programmes.
Answer: The UK remains committed to tackling global health challenges and will continue to work with all international partners towards the collective goal of a healthier, safer and more prosperous world. As part of this, we are proud to be co-hosting the 8th rep...
Answered 14 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDeveloping Countries: HIV/AIDSForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44202More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has for the funding of (a) the Global Fund and (b) other global HIV programmes, in the context of the planned reduction in Official Development Assistance spend
Answer: The UK remains committed to tackling global health challenges and will continue to work with all international partners towards the collective goal of a healthier, safer and more prosperous world. As part of this, we are proud to be co-hosting the 8th rep...
Answered 14 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: CyprusForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43406More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department plan to visit the official memorial in Girne in Northern Cyprus.
Answer: The Government reaffirms its highest respect for the memory and sacrifice of British and Cypriot service personnel and employees of the Crown who gave their lives, who lost family members or loved ones, and whose lives suffered permanent disruption as a r...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: CyprusMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43405More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department plan to visit the official memorial in Girne in Northern Cyprus.
Answer: While recognising the sacrifice of UK Service personnel who gave their lives during the ‘Cyprus Emergency’, Parliamentary and Ministerial commitments mean there are no plans to visit the memorial at The Old British Cemetery at Girne. However, when Parliam...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign Relations: ChinaTreasuryTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42391More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March to Question 38340 on Foreign Relations: China, how many meetings with Chinese government officials have taken place at her Department since September 2024, broken down by (a) month
Answer: As stated in my Answers of 14 and 24 March, UK Officials regularly engage with Chinese counterparts in order to further UK interests, cooperating on areas of mutual interest and challenging on areas where we disagree. This government is taking a consisten...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: RegulationDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41784More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to regulate unregulated legal gambling.
Answer: Gambling in Great Britain is regulated by the Gambling Commission, which operates a point of consumption licensing regime. Most legal gambling in Great Britain is regulated.
Answered 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBet365Department for Culture, Media and SportTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41783More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will withdrawn Bet365's UK operating licence for openly operating in China.
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 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign Relations: ChinaTreasuryTabled 14 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38340More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March to Question 36039 on Foreign Relations: China, on what dates these meetings were held.
Answer: As stated in my Answer of 14 March, UK Officials regularly engage with Chinese counterparts in order to further UK interests, cooperating on areas of mutual interest and challenging on areas where we disagree.This government is taking a consistent, long-t...
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordNorthern Cyprus: Travel RestrictionsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 12 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37527More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of impact of (a) indirect flights via Turkey and (b) other travel restrictions on UK nationals travelling to the Turkish Republic of Northe
Answer: We recognise that the status quo in Cyprus creates serious challenges for the Turkish Cypriot community, including in relation to international travel. The Government believes a just and lasting settlement is the best way of resolving these challenges and...
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTower of LondonMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36353More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the submission by Historic England on potential impact of the Royal Mint Court Development on the
Answer: An appointed Inspector held a public inquiry into the proposals in question, considering a range of evidence.As this case will come before ministers in MHCLG to determine, it would not be appropriate to comment
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign Relations: ChinaTreasuryTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36039More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many meetings between Chinese and UK officials took place between October 1 2024 and March 1 2025.
Answer: UK officials regularly engage with Chinese counterparts in order to further UK interests, cooperating on areas of mutual interest and challenging on areas where we disagree. This government is taking a consistent, long-term and pragmatic approach to manag...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordAfghanistan: Religious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35216More
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 polices of Taliban (a) restrictions on the practice of religion and (b) the targeting of (i) Shia Muslims,
Answer: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials regularly press the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans. In October 2024, we co-sponsored a Human Rights Council resolution which extended the mandate of UN Special Rapporteur Richard B...
Answered 12 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHong Kong: SanctionsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34763More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will impose secondary sanctions on Hong Kong financial institutions found to be supporting sanction evasion.
Answer: UK sanctions bind UK nationals and entities everywhere. This is different to 'secondary sanctions' which are enforced outside of the sanctioning country's jurisdiction. The UK is committed to curtail Russia's use of the international financial system to s...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHong Kong: RussiaForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34762More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Hong Kong counterpart on Russian sanction evasion through Hong Kong.
Answer: In his recent meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs spoke about global stability, including in Ukraine, where Russia continues its illegal war. The UK has already sanctioned...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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