Chi Onwurah MP: written questions
217 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Video GamesDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33872More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support growth in the video game industry.
Answer: The Government recently announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios to develop new intellectual property and deliver the graduate talent development programmes Tranzfuser and Du...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: Digital TechnologyCabinet OfficeTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33871More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions his Department has had with trade unions on the digitalisation of Government.
Answer: The Cabinet Office regularly discusses workforce matters with trade unions.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordScience and Technology: Tax AllowancesDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33870More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to help ensure that tax incentives for science and technology are used to promote innovation.
Answer: Research and development (R&D) tax reliefs are vital to economic growth, and will support an estimated £56 billion of business R&D expenditure a year by 2029-30.In the Corporate Tax Roadmap, the Government committed to strengthening the administra...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordResearch: Career DevelopmentDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33869More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to publish a written response to the recommendations of the independent report entitled What works to attract and retain people into R&D careers, published on 10 Februa
Answer: The Government does not typically publish responses to independent research reports. The recommendations made by the Behavioural Insights Team in this report will be considered as part of the Department’s ongoing policy development to support our ambition...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordResearch: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33430More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of ending the entitlement of football clubs to claim research and development tax credits.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of Research and Development (R&D) in driving innovation and the benefits it can bring for society, where the R&D tax reliefs play a vital role in the Government’s mission to boost economic growth.All sector...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordElectronic Government: Digital TechnologyDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33429More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions his Department has had with trade unions on the digitalisation of Government.
Answer: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology regularly discusses workforce matters with trade unions.
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTechnical Advisory BoardHome OfficeTabled 12 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30995More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Technical Advisory Board (a) last met and (b) last provided advice to the Government.
Answer: For reasons of national security, we do comment in detail on the activities of the Technical Advisory Board (TAB), including if and when it provides advice.
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordTechnical Advisory BoardHome OfficeTabled 12 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30994More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who are the members of the Technical Advisory Board.
Answer: The membership of the Technical Advisory Board (TAB) is listed on the TAB’s GOV.UK webpage:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/technical-advisory-board/about/membership
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNuclear PowerDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29471More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Written Statement of 6 February 2025 on Consenting and Regulation of Nuclear Energy, HCWS419, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using the UK’s pluto
Answer: The Government has published a refreshed planning framework for new nuclear reactors (EN-7), including small and advanced modular reactors, for consultation. The new planning framework proposes to empower nuclear developers to identify potentially suitabl...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPlutoniumDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29470More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Written Statement of 24 January 2025 on Plutonium Disposition Strategy, HCWS388, if he will publish the basis for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s recommendation
Answer: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) conducted substantial technical, deliverability and economic analysis to identify a preferred option for a long-term disposition solution, considering options for immobilisation and reuse of the material as fuel...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNuclear PowerDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29469More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using the UK’s plutonium stockpile to generate electricity.
Answer: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) conducted substantial technical, deliverability and economic analysis to identify a preferred option for a long-term disposition solution for the UK-owned plutonium, considering options for immobilisation and re...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Eutelsat OneWebMinistry of DefenceTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29468More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential strategic value of OneWeb for supporting Ukraine.
Answer: The UK has provided a significant number of communication systems to Ukraine, including satellite-based systems, many of which have been integrated into a range of military capabilities. We have considered OneWeb as part of our support package, but, to da...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSoftware: ProcurementDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29467More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using procurement to support open source software development in the UK.
Answer: The UK has a strong open-source ecosystem, which has helped drive innovation and distribute the benefits of technology widely. The AI Opportunities Action Plan outlines how the government will maximise the potential for AI, including its support for open-...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial IntelligenceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29466More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of open source AI on the economy.
Answer: The UK has a strong open-source ecosystem and we recognise how open source can help support economic growth and innovation. The AI Opportunities Action Plan includes measures to help maximise this potential, including through commitments around open sourc...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: SoftwareDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29465More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much public money has been allocated for the development and maintenance of the AI tools (a) Scout, (b) Connect, and (c) Humphrey; and from which departmental budgets those funds ha
Answer: One of the functions of the new Government Digital Service is to incubate AI products and scale them into cross government services. As part of this funding for the development of Connect and Humphrey will come from the budget of the Incubator for Artific...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: SoftwareDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29464More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which organisations are responsible for (a) the development and (b) the maintenance of the (i) Scout, (ii) Connect, and (iii) Humphrey AI tools.
Answer: The Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI), which is part of the Government Digital Service, developed these tools. i.AI maintains Connect and the Humphrey GovAI toolkit. Scout will be maintained by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUSA: Development AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28907More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the suspension of USAID programmes on his Department's international development programmes.
Answer: We are currently working to assess the implications of the US funding pause across development sectors. We welcome the news that emergency food aid and life-saving humanitarian assistance should be exempt from the pause in US foreign aid. The UK's commitm...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordInternet: InfrastructureDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28485More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the (a) resilience and (b) reliability of cloud services, in the context of its plans to designate cloud services as Critical National I
Answer: The Government process for designating infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) requires an assessment of the sector’s resilience, and its reliability, in performing its essential function to society and the economy. This was assessed prio...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordInvestmentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28100More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support regional investment funds; and whether the Minister for Investment has met with (a) Northern Gritstone, (b) Midlands Mindforge and (c) other regional investment funds
Answer: The Department for Business and Trade supports regional investment funds by fostering growth, expanding their investor networks, and identifying opportunities for international collaboration. The Minister for Investment will look to meet North Gritstone, ...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRiver Tyne: BridgesDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25217More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 21309 on River Tyne: Bridges, if she will meet the Port of Tyne to discuss the Swing Bridge.
Answer: The department engages actively with many UK ports, including the Port of Tyne. However, the department has not engaged specifically with the Port of Tyne on this issue as it is a matter for the port and/or other local parties.
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordRiver Tyne: BridgesDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25216More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 21309 on River Tyne: Bridges, what responsibilities the Port of Tyne has for (a) the navigability of the River Tyne and (b) the Swing Bridge.
Answer: The department has not engaged specifically with the Port of Tyne on this issue as it is a matter for the port and/or other local parties. The specific areas of responsibility of the Port of Tyne, and other parties, for navigational purposes and the Swing...
Answered 24 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDriverless VehiclesDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25215More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her Department's timeline is for making autonomous vehicles commercially available for use on UK roads.
Answer: Following Royal Assent of the Automated Vehicles (AV) Act, our world-leading work on the safe implementation of automated vehicles on our road’s presses ahead with a suite of consultations to enable implementation of the AV regulatory framework in 2027. T...
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordOverseas StudentsDepartment for EducationTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25214More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential benefits and disbenefits for (a) prospective and (b) current students of international student recruitment agencies operating in the UK.
Answer: The government welcomes international students, who enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and make a significant economic contribution to the UK.Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions, w...
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy SupplyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25213More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the pause to the applications process for new entrants to the connections queue from 29 January 2025 announced by the National Energy Systems Operator on 15 January 2025, wh
Answer: The short pause on connection applications is a necessary, transitional step in delivering fundamental connections reforms that, if approved by Ofgem, could reduce the connections queue by up to half and will enable accelerated connections for many genera...
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDriverless Vehicles: RegulationDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25212More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of skills within the Civil Service to effectively regulate self-driving vehicles.
Answer: Responsibility for new self-driving vehicle regulatory processes will be aligned with the Department for Transport’s executive agencies’ existing responsibilities for conventional vehicles, ensuring effective use of their expertise around vehicles regulat...
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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