Every parliamentary written question tabled by Charlie Dewhirst this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 241–260 of 845 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, what the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in his Department.
We will publish data on MHCLG’s Direct Ministerial Appointments in line with recent guidance.
Pursuant to the oral Answer of 20 November 2025, Official Report, Column 834, on Motorists, and further to the point of order of 25 November 2025, Official report, Column 261, on what date was she first aware of the proposal to introduce a national pay-per-mile Electric Vehicle Excise Duty scheme in the Budget 2025.
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with HM Treasury ministers about a range of topics, but final tax decisions are for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to make and are announced at the Budget.
What estimate her Department has made of the volume of egg imports into the United Kingdom from Ukraine in the last 12 months.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as an Accredited Official Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com) From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria including imports from Ukraine. Goods moving to and from the UK are identified by commodity codes. To build a table you will need to know the commodity code of the goods imported. These codes are available in the UK Tariff at https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff. The commodity code for eggs can be found in Chapter 04. If you need help or support in constructing a table from the data on uktradeinfo, please contact uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the adequacy production standard of eggs imported from Ukraine.
The UK imports a small proportion of its annual supply of eggs, including from Ukraine, to meet domestic demand. We consistently monitor the impact of imports on the UK market. All agri-food products must comply with the UK sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market.
Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the non-governmental organisations and associations that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature has met, since her appointment to the Department.
I regularly engage with a wide range of stakeholders. Since coming into office my meetings have been declared here: Defra: ministerial overseas travel, and meetings - GOV.UK.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of regenerative agriculture.
We have allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. We are targeting public money where it delivers most value – supporting nature, because all farms need healthy soils, abundant pollinators, and clean water to produce good food. This includes the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). Many SFI actions follow the regenerative farming approach. This includes actions on soil health, integrated pest management, farmland wildlife, hedgerows, buffer strips, agroforestry, precision farming, grassland, and moorland. We will publish information on the next iteration of the scheme in due course.
What plans he has to introduce a modern service framework for cancer.
Everyone in the National Health Service is responsible for delivering high-quality care. As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, as well as an overall quality strategy, the National Quality Board will oversee the development of a new series of service frameworks.Between 1997 and 2010, National Service Frameworks were a clinically-led approach to developing guidance that supported sustained improvement in major condition outcomes, including by narrowing inequality and reducing unwarranted variation. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will reintroduce and modernise this approach. These Modern Service Frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery.Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia. The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of Modern Service Frameworks. The criteria for determining other conditions for future Modern Service Frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.Plans to introduce a modern service framework for cancer will be considered as part of the development of the National Cancer Plan.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Purposeful Finance Commission’s report entitled Reservoir underdogs: unlocking regulatory challenges to delivering new reservoirs, published in September 2025, whether she has made an assessment of that report's recommendation on empowering the proposed new water regulator to be a statutory reservoir champion.
The Government’s Water Delivery Taskforce is working across Government, water regulators and stakeholders to deliver planned water infrastructure that is essential to growth. A dedicated team is focused on identifying and resolving blockers for the nine new reservoirs in England and is considering the recommendations from the Purposeful Finance Commission’s report and its alignment with the recommendations of the Independent Water Commission, which also examined some of these areas within its remit. A full response to the Independent Water Commission’s recommendations will be outlined later this year through a White Paper and a new water reform bill. These will set out the Government’s vision for a new partnership based on effective regulation – bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors, and the environment.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Purposeful Finance Commission’s report entitled Reservoir underdogs: unlocking regulatory challenges to delivering new reservoirs, published in September 2025, whether she has made an assessment of that report's recommendation to establish an Olympic-style delivery body for reservoirs.
The Government’s Water Delivery Taskforce is working across Government, water regulators and stakeholders to deliver planned water infrastructure that is essential to growth. A dedicated team is focused on identifying and resolving blockers for the nine new reservoirs in England and is considering the recommendations from the Purposeful Finance Commission’s report and its alignment with the recommendations of the Independent Water Commission, which also examined some of these areas within its remit. A full response to the Independent Water Commission’s recommendations will be outlined later this year through a White Paper and a new water reform bill. These will set out the Government’s vision for a new partnership based on effective regulation – bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors, and the environment.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Purposeful Finance Commission’s report entitled Reservoir underdogs: unlocking regulatory challenges to delivering new reservoirs, published in September 2025, whether she has made an assessment of that report's recommendation to reform the five-year price review cycle to allow mid-cycle adjustments for strategic water infrastructure, including reservoirs.
The Government’s Water Delivery Taskforce is working across Government, water regulators and stakeholders to deliver planned water infrastructure that is essential to growth. A dedicated team is focused on identifying and resolving blockers for the nine new reservoirs in England and is considering the recommendations from the Purposeful Finance Commission’s report and its alignment with the recommendations of the Independent Water Commission, which also examined some of these areas within its remit. A full response to the Independent Water Commission’s recommendations will be outlined later this year through a White Paper and a new water reform bill. These will set out the Government’s vision for a new partnership based on effective regulation – bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors, and the environment.
If he will set (a) the role of Integrated Health Organisations (IHOs) and (b) how IHOs will align with (i) integrated care boards and (ii) neighbourhood health plans.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the very best foundation trusts will have the opportunity to be eligible for designation as integrated health organisations (IHOs).An IHO will hold the whole health budget for a local population. IHOs will be required to support integration, shift resources from hospital to community, focus on population health and tackle inequalities.Guidance for providers on IHO designation is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/advanced-foundation-trust-programme-guide-for-applicants-annex-2/Further guidance on the implementation of IHOs will be published by NHS England shortly.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) agricultural colleges and (b) training providers to develop education programmes on regenerative farming techniques.
The Government is fully supportive of collaboration with industry, higher and further education institutions, and training providers to strengthen skills in the farming sector, including those needed for regenerative farming techniques. We will also continue to support farmers through our Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS) who want to introduce regenerative agriculture techniques.
Innovation and Technology, how much money has been allocated through the the UK Research and Innovation fund to research into mitochondrial diseases in each of the last five years.
The Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), committed £55,650,000 since 2020 to research into mitochondrial disease.2020£9,283,0002021£11,063,0002022£13,416,0002023£9,738,0002024£12,150,000Additionally, MRC awarded the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit (MBU), which focuses entirely on mitochondrial disease, £39,489,000 over this period.
If he will set out how the proposed modern service frameworks will interact with (a) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, (b) the proposed National Cancer Plan and (c) other health plans.
Everyone in the National Health Service is responsible for delivering high-quality care. As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, as well as an overall quality strategy, the National Quality Board will oversee the development of a new series of service frameworks.Between 1997 and 2010, national service frameworks were a clinically led approach to developing guidance that supported sustained improvement in major condition outcomes, including by narrowing inequality and reducing unwarranted variation. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will reintroduce and modernise this approach. These modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery.Modern service frameworks will work with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and others to identify the best evidenced interventions that would support progress towards the outcome goal and set standards on how those interventions should be used.Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia. The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.Plans to introduce a modern service framework for cancer will be considered as part of the development of the National Cancer Plan.
What steps her Department is taking to communicate the implications of inheritance tax reforms to business and agricultural property relief to family business owners.
As announced at Autumn Budget 2024, the government will reform Inheritance Tax agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026. The government has published several documents setting out further detail on how these changes will work in practice, including a policy paper at Autumn Budget 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforms-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief A detailed explainer of the reforms, including case study examples, was published 5 November 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/what-are-the-changes-to-agricultural-property-relief On 21 July 2025, the government published draft legislation, an Explanatory Note and a Tax Information and Impact Note for the changes, alongside its response to the technical consultation on the changes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforms-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief Final legislation for this measure will be included in the upcoming Finance Bill 2025-26, which will be published shortly after the Budget on 26 November. HMRC will publish full guidance and explain the changes through their communications channels, as appropriate, in due course for the changes coming into effect on 6 April 2026.
What guidance her Department plans to issue to family business owners on inheritance tax reforms to agricultural and business property relief from April 2026.
As announced at Autumn Budget 2024, the government will reform Inheritance Tax agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026. The government has published several documents setting out further detail on how these changes will work in practice, including a policy paper at Autumn Budget 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforms-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief A detailed explainer of the reforms, including case study examples, was published 5 November 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/what-are-the-changes-to-agricultural-property-relief On 21 July 2025, the government published draft legislation, an Explanatory Note and a Tax Information and Impact Note for the changes, alongside its response to the technical consultation on the changes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforms-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief Final legislation for this measure will be included in the upcoming Finance Bill 2025-26, which will be published shortly after the Budget on 26 November. HMRC will publish full guidance and explain the changes through their communications channels, as appropriate, in due course for the changes coming into effect on 6 April 2026.
Whether the Public Sector Fraud Authority has issued recent guidance to local billing authorities on council tax (a) avoidance and (b) evasion in relation to the second homes council tax premium.
Guidance in relation to the payment and billing of council tax is developed and issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to local authorities. However, the National Fraud Initiative (NFI), as part of the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA), works closely with local authorities to help them identify and prevent fraud. As part of this, the NFI is currently collaborating with local authorities to understand the fraud risks related to council tax second home premiums. The NFI will use that insight to inform options, such as a data matching pilot, to detect and prevent fraud in this area. This collaboration is also what has allowed the removal of fraudsters from social housing properties, ensuring they go to those families in genuine need, and cracking down on blue badge fraud - of which 22,000 fraudulent permits were cancelled in the last year alone.
Pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 82673 on Government Departments: Social Media, how much has been spent on the two agencies for influencer work since July 2024.
There are no plans to publish specific financial details in the public domain.
Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 82673 on Government Departments: Social Media, on which (a) topics and (b) programmes the two agencies have been commissioned to (i) select and (ii) pay appropriate influencers; and whether his Department holds information on which influencers have been hired.
Omni and Unlimited are contracted to Cabinet Office Government Communication Service. These agencies have supported GCS in delivering campaigns on the government's priorities and missions. Influencers have proven to be effective in reaching audiences that traditional marketing channels find hard to reach.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 78429 on National Security: China, what information her Department holds on whether hostile activity by China is carried out from within the diplomatic buildings in the UK.
Upholding national security and keeping the public safe is the first duty of this Government. This principle underpins not only our relationship with China, but all our international relationships. However, it would not be appropriate to comment on any specific national security issue.