Mark Pritchard MP: written questions
347 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Terrorism: RussiaHome OfficeTabled 12 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51336More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help counter the UK operations of the GRU’s Department of Special Tasks.
Answer: National security is the first priority of government, and we work closely with all our international partners to assess and tackle all threats. As is our long-standing position, the Home Office does not comment in detail on operational, intelligence or s...
Answered 15 May 2025
Original Parliament recordTerrorism: RussiaHome OfficeTabled 12 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51335More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with her US counterpart on taking joint steps to counter efforts by the Russian GRU to bring down transatlantic aircraft through the development of incendiary devices.
Answer: National security is the first priority of government, and we work closely with all our international partners to assess and tackle all threats. As is our long-standing position, the Home Office does not comment in detail on operational, intelligence or s...
Answered 15 May 2025
Original Parliament recordIslamic State: Central AsiaHome OfficeTabled 12 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51334More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to stop ISIS-K members from using conventional visa routes to travel to the UK from the central Asian republics.
Answer: It would not be appropriate to comment in detail on operational security matters or specific cases. However, all visa applications are subject to comprehensive security checks and we maximise the use of upstream interventions to prevent people who pose a ...
Answered 20 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGamblingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50455More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to introduce (a) identity checks and (b) spending limits for crypto betting.
Answer: There are currently no licensed gambling operators in Great Britain which allow payment using cryptocurrencies. If an operator wished to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment, they would have to satisfy themselves and the Gambling Commission, the reg...
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChristianity: AnniversariesChurch CommissionersTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50088More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England plans to take to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
Answer: In a paper for the February 2025 sitting of the General Synod of the Church of England, the Liturgical Commission wrote:“The Nicene Creed is one of the most significant, universally recognized and definitively authoritative statements of Christian faith, ...
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRussia: UkraineMinistry of DefenceTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50087More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will hold discussions with his counterpart in Nepal on the (i) number of Nepalese nationals who are and (ii) steps Nepal is taking to help prevent its nationals fighting as mercenaries for the Russian Feder
Answer: The Ministry for Defence engages regularly with the Government of Nepal. The Nepali Government has denounced recruitment and has formally asked Russia to desist its attempts to recruit Nepali citizens to fight. They have also sought to deter Nepalis trave...
Answered 15 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRussia: UkraineMinistry of DefenceTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50086More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will hold discussions with his counterpart in Ghana on the (i) number of Ghanaian nationals who are and (ii) steps Ghana is taking to help prevent its nationals fighting as mercenaries for the Russian Feder
Answer: Ghana is a valuable security partner, and I met with the Ghanaian Defence Minister this week. The UK engages regularly with Ghana on a range of topics of mutual concern, including Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRussia: Antisatellite WeaponsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50085More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with (a) state and (b) private sector allies and partners to reduce the risk to the UK's (i) national and (ii) economic security of Russia’s developme
Answer: The UK takes the potential development of nuclear anti-satellite weapons by Russia seriously. We have been working with international partners and allies to reaffirm the absolute prohibition of the placement of weapons of mass destruction in space, includ...
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: Space TechnologyMinistry of DefenceTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50084More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to ensure a space defence strategy is included in the outputs from the Strategic Defence Review.
Answer: While the Ministry of Defence continues to deliver against its existing space strategy, the Strategic Defence Review provides an opportunity to assess the strategic landscape and threat picture to inform long-term decisions, including on refreshing the De...
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRegeneration: Rural AreasMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49908More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what regeneration funding she is making available for (a) Newport, (b) Shifnal and (c) other rural market towns.
Answer: This government confirmed its commitment to regeneration funding at the Autumn Budget securing millions of pounds to support economic growth across the UK – our number one mission. This included £3.5 million through the UKSPF to continue to support commun...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: ReligionDepartment for EducationTabled 2 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49907More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on faith communities.
Answer: The department has published its Equalities Impact Assessment for all measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, setting out impacts across protected characteristics including religion or belief. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/gove...
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNuclear Power Stations: BelarusDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48092More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the International Atomic Energy Agency on (a) the safety of the Ostrovets nuclear plant in Belarus and (b) the potential impact of that nuclear plant on the s
Answer: Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly in arrears.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNorth Korea: SanctionsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48091More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding and extending sanctions against Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Answer: The UK remains steadfast in our commitment to limit Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) weapons programmes and counter their proliferation activity through maintaining a robust sanctions regime This includes an extensive range of UN sanctions c...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordInternet: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48090More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make it her policy to abolish Ofcom if its code of conduct for technology companies does not improve children's online safety.
Answer: The government is clear that we expect significant improvements in children's online safety as platforms comply with their duties under the Online Safety Act.Ofcom's child safety codes include over 40 measures to hold platforms accountable, ensuring safer...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordJudiciary: Political ImpartialityMinistry of JusticeTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47183More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will have discussions with senior judges on maintaining political impartiality when making (a) professional and (b) personal comments in public.
Answer: Judges swear in the judicial oath to act "without fear or favour, affection or ill will". They are recognised and respected across the world for their independence, fairness and impartiality.It is for the senior judiciary to give guidance on the...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordJudicial Appointments Commission for England and Wales: ReformMinistry of JusticeTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47182More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will reform the Judicial Appointments Commission to ensure improved (a) transparency and (b) diversity in the appointments process.
Answer: The independent Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) has a statutory duty under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (CRA) to select candidates for judicial appointment solely on merit and to encourage diversity. Its processes are governed by the CRA and ...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCharities and Non-governmental Organisations: FinanceForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46701More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) NGOs and (b) charities in receipt of funding from his Department that have issued legal proceedings against the Gov
Answer: There is no on-going litigation against the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (the Department) in respect of claims issued directly by NGOs or charities currently in receipt of funding from the Department.
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil DefenceCabinet OfficeTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46700More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will amend the (a) Military Aid to the Civil Powers (Emergency Powers) Act 1964 and (b) Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to ensure parliamentary oversight during national crises.
Answer: The Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) 2004 and the associated Regulations deliver a single framework for civil protection in the UK. While emergency regulations could be brought into force immediately during a crisis they must be presented to Parliament as so...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: PricesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46699More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will ask the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate the Joint Business Agreement between British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, American Airlines and Aer Lingus on the pricing model for tran
Answer: As the UK’s independent competition authority, the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) has discretion to investigate competition cases which, according to its prioritisation principles, it considers most appropriate. The Government has ensured that ...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: Suspended SentencesMinistry of JusticeTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46698More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) adults and (b) juveniles convicted of (i) downloading and (ii) procuring online child abuse images received suspended custodial sentences in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of convictions at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.I...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: SentencingMinistry of JusticeTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46697More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will ask the Sentencing Council to increase custodial sentences for people convicted of procuring child abuse images.
Answer: The maximum sentences available for criminal offences are set by Parliament and, for possession of indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child, the maximum sentence is 5 years’ imprisonment. For distributing, making or taking indecent photograph...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: InfrastructureMinistry of DefenceTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46696More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on safeguarding civilian national infrastructure required for the (a) mobilisation and (b) deployment of the armed forces.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence has robust plans for mobilising and deploying the Armed Forces in response to events and crises, both at home and abroad. The Ministry of Defence works closely with other Government Departments, including the Cabinet Office, as wel...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Security: Departmental CoordinationCabinet OfficeTabled 4 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44210More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will establish a cross-Government expert group to help (a) innovate responses and (b) devise policy counter-measures to (i) non-traditional and (ii) hard-to-trace grey-zone activities of (A) malign state a
Answer: As set out in the Plan For Change, this Government’s first duty is to make the UK safer, more secure, and resilient against the growing and interconnected threats from state, state-linked and non-state actors. We are committed to working across Government...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBBC: Broadcasting ProgrammesDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42427More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with the BBC on ensuring that the programmes it commissions reflect the views of people from across the UK.
Answer: As a public service broadcaster that matters hugely to public life, the BBC must be responsive to viewers and listeners and tell inclusive stories about the lives of all people, in all parts of the UK. Under the current Charter, the BBC has an obligation ...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBroadcasting: CompetitionDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42426More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with Ofcom on encouraging competition in broadcast news media.
Answer: The Department regularly engages with Ofcom on a range of issues including the importance of a competitive and diverse broadcasting sector. Ofcom has a statutory duty under the Communication Act 2003 to secure and maintain a sufficient plurality of provid...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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