John Whittingdale MP: written questions 2024
22 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Broomfield 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 recordProject Gigabit: Rural AreasDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8095More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much and what proportion of the remaining budget for Project Gigabit has been allocated to rural 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 recordProject Gigabit: FinanceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8094More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much and what proportion of funding for Project Gigabit has yet to be (a) allocated and (b) spent.
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 recordData Processing: CopyrightDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 8 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7710More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to introduce a broadened copyright exception for text and data mining.
Answer: No decision has been made on whether to legislate on copyright in relation to text and data mining.The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the creative industries and AI sectors while recognising the value of human-centred creativity. Whil...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordGP Practice ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 5824More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the the average number of patients per GP is in (a) the Maldon District, (b) Mid and South Essex and (c) England.
Answer: In August 2024, the median number of patients per full-time equivalent (FTE) fully qualified general practitioner was:3,030 in the Maldon District;2,759 in the NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB); and2,300 in England.In the same period, th...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCulture: MaldonMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2224More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding her Department plans to provide Maldon District Council for culture projects.
Answer: This government was elected on a manifesto that stressed a partnership approach with local authorities and an intention to stabilise the funding system, moving away from wasteful competition. Local places will rightly be seeking clarity on previous fundin...
Answered 4 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordRoads: ChelmsfordDepartment for TransportTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2223More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding her Department plans to provide for a new Army and Navy Roundabout in Chelmsford.
Answer: The Chancellor set out on 29 July a range of pressures on public spending, including £2.9 billion of unfunded transport specific spending. Following this, the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement on 30 July set out that the Department is un...
Answered 4 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordPark Homes: RegulationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1177More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to undertake a review of the regulation of residential park home sites.
Answer: The park homes sector is an important part of the housing market. We recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the regulation of park home sites and the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home. We will set out the G...
Answered 31 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordPark Homes: SalesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1176More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to reduce the proportion of the selling price of a park home that is legally required to be paid to the site owner.
Answer: The park homes sector is an important part of the housing market. We recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the regulation of park home sites and the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home. We will set out the G...
Answered 31 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordEmergency Services: MedalsCabinet OfficeTabled 18 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 589More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will extend eligibility for the Elizabeth Emblem award to all emergency service workers who are severely injured and medically retired from the service.
Answer: The Government recognises the invaluable contribution of emergency service workers to the people of the United Kingdom. The Elizabeth Emblem recognises the sacrifices made by public servants who have lost their lives as a result of their duty within the h...
Answered 26 Jul 2024
Original Parliament record
Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →