Iain Duncan Smith MP: written questions
226 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Developing 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 recordDepartment 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 record
Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →