Iain Duncan Smith MP: written questions 2025
118 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Department for Transport: AviationDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34577More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made air travel arrangements for direct flights with any self declared state recognised by other countries.
Answer: In order for an international direct flight to take place, the relevant airports need to be designated as international customs airports. Under the Chicago Convention, only the state with sovereignty over the territory in which an airport is located may d...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordChinese Embassy: Planning PermissionHome OfficeTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31749More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the finding in the Transnational Repression Origin Country Case Study by Freedom House that an increase in the presence o
Answer: As set out in a joint letter by the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary to the Planning Inspector on 14 January, the Home Office has considered the breadth of national security issues in relation to the planning application.It would not be appropriate to...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordChinese Embassy: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31748More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what representations she received from the Metropolitan Police Service on the People's Republic of China's application to develop Royal Mint Court between 1 November 2024 and 15
Answer: No such representations have been received by the department from the Metropolitan Police Service.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: InternetDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 12 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30964More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth of 5 February 2025, Official Report, column 373WH, on account-based online play, what steps her D
Answer: The Gambling Commission is in the process of introducing a number of regulatory reforms that build on current account level player protections, including financial vulnerability checks, improved tools for financial limit setting and improved choice in dir...
Answered 5 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSecurity: Postgraduate EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 12 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30963More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the findings of the report by Freedom from Torture entitled No Questions Asked: UK universities provide postgraduate security
Answer: Universities are independent from government and manage their own admissions decisions. However, the department expects the higher education sector to be responsible and alert to regulatory risks when collaborating with international partners, conducting ...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordChinese Embassy: DemonstrationsHome OfficeTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30034More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she had discussions with the Metropolitan Police on the cost of (a) overtime payments for officers, (b) additional resources, (c) equipment, (d) special measures and (e) mutual aid costs arisi
Answer: Public order policing is an operational matter for forces.We are in frequent contact with the MPS on a range of issues and have just agreed a funding settlement that will provide the force with up to £3.8 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £249.7 mi...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordConsular Assistance (Journalists) BillForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28447More
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 Consular Assistance (Journalists) Bill.
Answer: The Government is considering its response to the Private Member's Bill "to make provision for a right to consular assistance for British journalists abroad who have been detained or held hostage; and for connected purposes" and will respond to ...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDiplomatic 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 record
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