John Whittingdale MP: written questions
59 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Artificial 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 recordTelevision: Local BroadcastingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40987More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of TV viewing transitioning to online delivery digital viewing on linear TV broadcasting on her Department's policy aims for local
Answer: The Government recognises the important role that local TV continues to play in the wider broadcasting ecosystem. That is why last year we brought forward legislation to enable Ofcom to renew the licences for the local TV multiplex and the 34 individual l...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBroomfield Hospital: Maternity ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20128More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish details of the Section 31 notice issued to Mid and South Essex Hospitals relating to maternity services at Broomfield Hospital.
Answer: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is working to publish its report following its inspection of maternity services in Mid and South Essex at the earliest opportunity. Publication of the report, following the Care Quality Commission’s inspection of maternit...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordMaternity Services: EssexDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20127More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the report of the CQC inspection of maternity services in Mid and South Essex carried out in March 2024.
Answer: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is working to publish its report following its inspection of maternity services in Mid and South Essex at the earliest opportunity. Publication of the report, following the Care Quality Commission’s inspection of maternit...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordListed Places of Worship Grant SchemeDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17063More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding her Department plans to provide for the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answer: Departmental settlements have been set following the Budget announcement on October 30. Individual programmes will now be assessed during the departmental Business Planning process.
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPolice: BiometricsHome OfficeTabled 26 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 16118More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to introduce legislation to govern the use of facial recognition technology by the police.
Answer: Live facial technology is being used effectively by some police forces to identify suspects more quickly and accurately. Its use is governed by data protection, equality, and human rights legislation supplemented by specific policing guidance. However, I ...
Answered 4 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPolice: BiometricsHome OfficeTabled 26 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 16117More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to hold roundtable discussions on the police's use of facial recognition technology; and who will attend the roundtable discussions.
Answer: Live facial technology is being used effectively by some police forces to identify suspects more quickly and accurately. Its use is governed by data protection, equality, and human rights legislation supplemented by specific policing guidance. However, I ...
Answered 4 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordInformation Commissioner's OfficeDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10036More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2024 to Question 8499 on Information Commission, what implications for the Digital Information and Smart Data Bill were discussed with the Informati
Answer: The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology has worked with John Edwards, the Information Commissioner (IC) on the development of the upcoming Data (Use and Access) Bill.When they met on 30 July, DSIT SoS thanked the IC for his and ICO’s...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordDigital Technology: DisadvantagedDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10035More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2024 to Question 8498 on Digital Technology: Disadvantaged, what steps he is taking to tackle digital exclusion.
Answer: Unlike the previous government, this government takes tackling digital exclusion as a priority. That is why we are working to develop our approach with a view to taking coherent and consistent action across government. We expect to make further announceme...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordData Protection: UK Relations with EUDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10034More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2024 to Question 8500 on Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, whether he plans to have further meetings with the European Commissioner for
Answer: Yes, the Secretary of State and other ministers in the department will continue to meet with the European Commissioner for Justice on this important issue as many times as necessary throughout the EU adequacy review process.
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: TelecommunicationsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10033More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2024 to Question 8503 on Government Departments: Telecommunications, whether he plans to meet with Cabinet colleagues to discuss the use of ISDN tel
Answer: The Department chairs a quarterly cross-government group on this issue, to which all government departments are invited. The group allows for discussion around plans and progress, and the opportunity to raise any concerns around the retirement of these le...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordEmergency Calls: Voice over Internet ProtocolDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10032More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Office on the potential impact of the planned switch from the Public Switched Telephone Network on emergency serv
Answer: Yes, the Department engages regularly with the Home Office to identify and mitigate risks associated with the Public Switched Telephone Network switchover, including risks posed to the emergency services. Mostly recently, on 17 September the Department ch...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordFire and Rescue Services: PoliceHome OfficeTabled 14 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8751More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will repeal the Section 37 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 prohibiting police officers serving while off duty as on-call firefighters.
Answer: We have no current plans to repeal Section 37 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004.
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordAdoptionDepartment for EducationTabled 14 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8750More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will issue a formal public apology on historic forced adoptions on behalf of the Government.
Answer: I have the deepest sympathy with everyone affected by historic forced adoption. The practice was abhorrent and should never have taken place.The department is currently funding the Adoption England project ‘Improving Adoption Services for Adults’, which i...
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordProject Gigabit: Urban AreasDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8096More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what proportion of the remaining budget of Project Gigabit will be assigned to urban areas.
Answer: Almost £2 billion of Project Gigabit contracts are in place, with a further £750 million allocated in live and planned procurements.Project Gigabit spend is reported in Building Digital UK’s (BDUK) annual report and accounts. Total capital Project Gigabit...
Answered 18 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
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