John Whittingdale MP: written questions
29 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Soft PowerForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 900447More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to promote UK soft power.
Answer: Soft power is fundamental to the UK's impact and reputation around the world. It builds relationships, promotes our values, and helps support our growth, prosperity and security.The Government is determined to make maximum use of all our soft power assets...
Answered 16 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: Intellectual PropertyDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 19 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2669More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the provisions enabling AI Sandboxes in the Regulating for Growth Bill will include protections for UK Intellectual Property to ensure that it cannot be suspended to allow experimentation in re
Answer: The AI Growth Lab, enabled through the Regulating for Growth Bill, will support the safe testing of AI-enabled products and services by allowing, in limited and controlled circumstances, temporary modifications to certain regulatory requirements that may ...
Answered 27 May 2026
Original Parliament recordTennis: MaldonDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 13 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120598More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing funding for covered tennis and padel facilities in Maldon constituency.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That has to mean delivering a range of facilities across the country based on what e...
Answered 20 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordTax AvoidanceTreasuryTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117229More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department will extend the discount under Loan Charge settlement plan to schemes used before December 2010.
Answer: The Government commissioned an independent review of the loan charge to help bring the matter to a close for people who have not settled and paid their loan charge liabilities. The review identified affordability as a key barrier preventing those individu...
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordStreaming: AgeDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106931More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage greater consistency in age ratings and content warnings across streaming services to help parents ensure age-appropriate viewing for their childre
Answer: We note the findings of Ofcom’s Review of Audience Protection Measures on On-Demand Programme Services. The Government will shortly be designating mainstream video-on-demand services, bringing them under enhanced regulation by Ofcom. Ofcom will then consu...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordStreaming: AgeDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106930More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the findings in Ofcom's Review of Audience Protection Measures on On-Demand Programme Services regarding public demand for greater consistency in age ratings used
Answer: We note the findings of Ofcom’s Review of Audience Protection Measures on On-Demand Programme Services. The Government will shortly be designating mainstream video-on-demand services, bringing them under enhanced regulation by Ofcom. Ofcom will then consu...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHighway Code: PublicityDepartment for TransportTabled 8 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104122More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to increase public awareness of changes to the Highway Code made in the last 4 years.
Answer: Following changes made to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran THINK! Campaigns in 2022 and 2023 to raise awareness of the changes and encourage understanding and uptake of the new guidance, with 86% of road users having heard of the changes by Se...
Answered 16 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCyprus: 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 record
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