Mark Pritchard MP: written questions
347 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Social Media: National Security and Politics and GovernmentDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18514More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to prevent social media companies adjusting network algorithms to promote actions by users (a) favouring political (i) candidates and (ii) outcomes and (b) who are
Answer: The Online Safety Act gives platforms duties to tackle illegal content. The regulator, Ofcom, has outlined steps providers can take to fulfil these duties in codes of practice, including recommending steps for stopping illegal foreign interference and ter...
Answered 18 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordCivil Service: Remote WorkingCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18358More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will install productivity tracking software to monitor work from home employment practices in the Civil Service.
Answer: Most office-based civil servants are expected to spend 60% of their working time in the office, setting a consistent balance across the Civil Service. Departments, as individual employers, are responsible for any other measures.
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: FraudCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18357More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make it a criminal offence to create fake online media accounts for public bodies and organisations where the communication of official and public information is
Answer: I apologise to the Rt. Hon. Member for the delayed response to his question of 6 December. The Online Safety Act, brought forward by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, introduced the false communications offence. This offence captures c...
Answered 20 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Professions: DismissalDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18356More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) other medical professionals were struck off from practicing in the NHS in 2022-23; and if he will publish the country of origin of th
Answer: The Department does not hold the requested information centrally. All groups of healthcare professionals have their own regulatory bodies, for example, the General Medical Council is the regulator of all medical doctors practising in the United Kingdom, a...
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordNHS: NegligenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18355More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure NHS Trusts admit early liability and compensate victims of medical negligence whilst under NHS Care.
Answer: NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. NHSR has a responsibility to settle claims fairly and promptly, and defend unmeritorious claims to secure NHS resources. Each case must be c...
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordEpilepsy: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18354More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure sufficient supplies of (a) lamotrigine, (b) Epilim Chronosphere and (c) other epilepsy medication.
Answer: The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, some issues, including with s...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordDental Services: Employers' ContributionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18353More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase in the rate of employers' National Insurance contributions on dental practices which provide NHS dentistry.
Answer: The employer National Insurance rise will be implemented April 2025, and the Department will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.
Answered 13 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordParliamentary ScrutinyCabinet OfficeTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17778More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what processes his Department has in place for Parliamentary oversight of Government decisions in (a) a time of war and (b) circumstances where the House of Commons is not functional.
Answer: It is a long-standing convention that the Government notifies the House of Commons of significant military action, either before or after the event, and where appropriate, makes time for a debate on that action. In the event that the House of Commons is u...
Answered 11 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordListed Places of Worship Grant SchemeDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17777More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on extending the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
Answer: Departmental settlements have been set by The Treasury following the Budget announcement on October 30. Individual programmes will now be assessed during the departmental Business Planning process.
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordCivil Contingencies Act 2004Cabinet OfficeTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17082More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to update the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 in the light of the threat from Russia.
Answer: The Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) 2004 and the associated Regulations deliver a single framework for civil protection in the UK. The legislation is deliberately broad ranging and sets out the requirements to consider all emergencies that threaten serious ...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordRespiratory Diseases: The WrekinDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 19 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14958More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help increase the proportion of patients that receive treatment within 18 weeks of referral for a respiratory condition in The Wrekin constituency.
Answer: Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission and a top priority for the Government, including waits for respiratory conditions. We are committed to achieving the NHS Constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 ...
Answered 27 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordMedical RecordsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 19 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14957More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to create shared patient records to allow (a) NHS clinical teams and (b) social care providers to access patient health and social care records.
Answer: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has announced the intention for there to be a single patient record that both empowers patients, by giving them access to their records, and gives professionals access to the information...
Answered 27 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPre-school Education: Employers' ContributionsDepartment for EducationTabled 19 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14956More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase in the rate of employers' National Insurance contributions on (a) nurseries and (b) pre-schools.
Answer: I refer the right hon. Member for The Wrekin to the answer of 11 November 2024 to Question 12804.
Answered 27 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordBirds of Prey: RodenticidesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14955More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle the illegal use of rat poison to kill birds of prey.
Answer: Where birds of prey are killed by illegal use of rat poison, the full force of the law should apply to proven perpetrators of the crime. We have significant sanctions in place including an unlimited fine and/or a six-month custodial sentence. Bird of prey...
Answered 5 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordRussia: YouTubeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 19 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14954More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with YouTube on its policy on (a) advertising and (b) monetisation by Russian opposition supporters on its platform.
Answer: The Government stands in solidarity with Russian independent journalists, human rights defenders and civil society activists who continue their work, including online, at great personal risk. We condemn the Russian authorities' use of repressive legislati...
Answered 28 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordRussia: AppleForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 19 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14919More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with Apple on its reported removal of apps linked to Russian opposition supporters from its Russian app store.
Answer: The UK Government condemns the Russian authorities' use of censorship to punish political opposition, repress anti-war sentiment and clamp down on freedom of expression online. The UK has raised Russia's use of repressive legislation to maintain a climate...
Answered 28 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordRussia: UkraineForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 19 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14918More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps to support the release of Ukrainian civilians taken hostage by the Russian military who are not subject to the military prisoner exchange programme
Answer: The UK consistently draws attention to Russia's abhorrent actions in Ukraine, including arbitrary detentions of civilians. In the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, alongside other participating states, we have invoked the Moscow Mechani...
Answered 28 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: Employers' ContributionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14046More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase in the rate of employers' National Insurance contributions on social care services.
Answer: The Government is providing at least £600 million of new grant funding for social care in 2025/26, as part of the broader estimated real-terms uplift to core local government spending power of approximately 3.2%. We will continue to work with the adult so...
Answered 26 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordParliamentary Estate: ICTHouse of Commons CommissionTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13423More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the Commission is taking to reduce the use of IT hardware manufactured in China on the parliamentary estate.
Answer: The House of Commons Administration is aware of the risks, and carefully considers hardware procurements, and any security implications of using Chinese manufactured IT hardware on the parliamentary estate. We work with government departments to ensure th...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordVeterans: Radiation ExposureMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13421More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average waiting time was for nuclear test veterans who applied for no-fault compensation under the War Pension Scheme to receive compensation in the latest period for which data is available.
Answer: Nuclear Test Veterans (NTVs) who believe they have suffered ill health due to Service have the right to apply for no-fault compensation under the War Pension Scheme (WPS). Each case is considered on its own merits. War Disablement Pensions are medically c...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordVeterans: Radiation ExposureMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13420More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in his Department are employed to assess compensation claims from British nuclear test veterans who served on Christmas Island.
Answer: Nuclear Test Veterans (NTVs) who believe they have suffered ill health due to Service have the right to apply for no-fault compensation under the War Pension Scheme (WPS). Each case is considered on its own merits. War Disablement Pensions are medically c...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordVeterans: Radiation ExposureMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13419More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British nuclear test veterans who served on Christmas Island have (a) applied for and (b) received compensation in each of the last five years.
Answer: Nuclear Test Veterans (NTVs) who believe they have suffered ill health due to Service have the right to apply for no-fault compensation under the War Pension Scheme (WPS). Each case is considered on its own merits. War Disablement Pensions are medically c...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDomestic AbuseHome OfficeTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13221More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce familial abuse.
Answer: This Government is committed to tackling domestic and sexual abuse in all its forms. Achieving our aim of halving violence against women and girls in a decade will require a whole systems approach.The Domestic Abuse Act (2021) recognises children as victi...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDomestic Abuse: MenHome OfficeTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13220More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve reporting of domestic abuse against men.
Answer: The definition of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) encompasses crimes which disproportionately, but not exclusively, affect women and girls. We recognise that men and boys also experience abusive and violent crimes, such as stalking, domestic abuse...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDomestic Abuse: MenMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13219More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many women were (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for domestic abuse against men in the period 2022-2023 .
Answer: The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of offenders prosecuted and convicted which can be filtered to specific offences. This can be obtained in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, which can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament record
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