John Whittingdale MP: written questions 2025
26 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Cyprus: ElectionsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92952More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of whether the recent presidential election in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was conducted in a free and fair manner.
Answer: In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' as an independent state.We respect the right of the Turkish Cypriot community ...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordTufan ErhürmanForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92951More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to meet the newly elected President of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus.
Answer: In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' as an independent state.We respect the right of the Turkish Cypriot community ...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordWealthTreasuryTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92950More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will amend the Financial Promotions Order to remove the exemption for self-certified sophisticated investors.
Answer: The financial promotion regime includes a number of targeted exemptions that are designed to reduce regulatory burdens, including for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking to raise capital through sophisticated private investors. The previous ...
Answered 27 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture and Business: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 5 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 906287More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the potential merits of reversing recent changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief.
Answer: HM Treasury Ministers discuss a range of subjects with Ministers from other departments, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief fro...
Answered 13 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: CopyrightDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84132More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 81396 on Artificial Intelligence: Copyright, if she will publish a list of the membership of all technical working groups that are
Answer: We are establishing technical working groups to inform our approach to copyright and AI. They will be designed to bring together a range of experts and stakeholders across key issues, including transparency and technical standards. We have shared the full...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordElectronic Funds Transfer: FraudTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 77957More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department has taken through the (a) Financial Conduct Authority and (b) Payment Systems Regulator to establish the reasons for which banks have not engaged directly with investors in resolving author
Answer: Treasury Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are pub...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordElectronic Funds Transfer: FraudTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 77956More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations her Department has received from receiving banks under the authorised push payment reimbursement arrangements in relation to (a) claims and (b) complaints by 79th Group investors; and what guida
Answer: Treasury Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are pub...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordElectronic Funds Transfer: FraudTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 77955More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations her Department has received from sending banks under the authorised push payment reimbursement arrangements in relation to (a) claims and (b) complaints by 79th Group investors; and what guidanc
Answer: Treasury Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are pub...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Ombudsman ServiceTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 77954More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions her Department has had with UK Finance on proposed changes to the (a) role and (b) remit of the Financial Ombudsman Service; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential impac
Answer: Treasury Ministers meet with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the regular business of government. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Ombudsman ServiceTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 77953More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with UK Finance on reforming of the role of the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Answer: Treasury Ministers meet with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the regular business of government. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: GrantsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 77952More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of requiring repayment of covid business support grants that were (a) paid in error by local authorities, (b) received and spent in good faith and (c
Answer: The various business grant schemes were a vital component of support for many businesses during the Covid-19 crisis. However, due to the speed of delivery, payments were made in good faith and in some cases following post payment compliance checks, some a...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: GrantsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 77951More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will review the policy requiring local authorities to claw back covid grant payments made in error where (a) significant periods of time have elapsed before notification of the error,
Answer: The various business grant schemes were a vital component of support for many businesses during the Covid-19 crisis. However, due to the speed of delivery, payments were made in good faith and in some cases following post payment compliance checks, some a...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: EssexMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 905839More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to reorganise local government in Essex.
Answer: Local Government Reorganisation creates a huge opportunity for efficiency and improve public services.Final proposals from councils in Essex were submitted by 26 September. We anticipate launching a statutory consultation in November.
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordLampard InquiryDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76962More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the Lampard Inquiry to report; and what steps he is taking to support the Inquiry.
Answer: Although the Department sponsors the Lampard Inquiry, the inquiry is independent of the Government. Baroness Lampard has committed to publish the final report as soon as possible and the inquiry will publish its intended timescales in due course. The next...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence and CopyrightDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 3 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74940More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, in what way he plans to appoint the Chairs of the technical sub-groups on (a) AI and (b) copyright; and what criteria will be used to ensure their impartiality.
Answer: We have committed to establishing technical working groups to inform our approach to copyright and AI. They will be designed to bring together a range of experts and stakeholders. The initial groups are being jointly chaired by SoS DSIT and SoS DCMS. Deta...
Answered 17 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence and CopyrightDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 3 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74939More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will publish the (a) membership, (b) minutes and (c) Terms of Reference of the (i) working groups on AI and copyright and (ii) technical sub-groups.
Answer: We have committed to establishing technical working groups to inform our approach to copyright and AI. They will be designed to bring together a range of experts and stakeholders. A full list of attendees and Terms of Reference will be published in due co...
Answered 17 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCancer: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 70282More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of cancer patients receive treatment within 62 days in (a) England and (b) Maldon constituency.
Answer: The latest data for England shows that 67.1% of people started treatment within 62 days of referral. Data on the 62 day referral to treatment cancer waiting time standard is available by integrated care board (ICB) area, but not by constituency. The Maldo...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordVaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 70281More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to publicise the need for vaccination against (a) influenza and (b) covid-19.
Answer: This year, we are carrying out a major campaign aimed at eligible people, encouraging them to take up their vaccinations, supported by millions of targeted emails, texts and letters sent nationally. The winter vaccination national booking service is openi...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSeventy Ninth Group: InsolvencyTreasuryTabled 17 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68722More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that investors in 79th Group receive adequate compensation.
Answer: As an important point of principle, the Government does not step in to pay compensation in respect of failed financial services firms that fall outside of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Doing so would create the wrong set of incentives...
Answered 23 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Services: FraudTreasuryTabled 17 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68720More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Authorised Push Payment framework in tackling financial fraud.
Answer: As an important point of principle, the Government does not step in to pay compensation in respect of failed financial services firms that fall outside of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Doing so would create the wrong set of incentives...
Answered 23 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSeventy Ninth Group: InsolvencyTreasuryTabled 17 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68719More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of Financial Conduct Authority support for victims of financial fraud in the context of the insolvency of 79th Group.
Answer: As an important point of principle, the Government does not step in to pay compensation in respect of failed financial services firms that fall outside of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Doing so would create the wrong set of incentives...
Answered 23 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: RussiaHome OfficeTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65201More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visas were issued to citizens of the Russian Federation to visit the UK in each of the last five years.
Answer: The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas by nationality and visa type in the Immigration system statistics publication. Data on visas issued are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance dataset’. Information on how to u...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordEye Cancer: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61478More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether chemostat can be prescribed by the NHS for the treatment of patients with ocular melanoma.
Answer: Chemosaturation therapy, often referred to as chemostat, is used to treat cancer that has spread to the liver arising from ocular melanoma. It is not used to treat ocular melanoma alone.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guida...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58547More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to chapter 2, section 1 of the Green Paper entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, published on 18 March 2025, whether Universal Credit claimants
Answer: Our Pathways to Work Green Paper set out why we are scrapping the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). We want to end the binary categorisation of groups and labelling as either ‘can or can’t work’. Instead, any extra financial support for health conditions ...
Answered 19 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordTeleision Licences: Older PeopleMinistry of JusticeTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48341More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many over 75s have been prosecuted for licence fee evasion since 2020.
Answer: Between the period January 2020 and September 2024 (latest available data), there have been two defendants over 75 years of age prosecuted for television license evasion.Defendant age as reported here is taken at the point of sentencing date. Therefore, a...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament record
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