theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the Ukrainian nationals living in the UK are aware of the information on her Department’s page on gov.uk entitled Immigration information for Ukrainians, British nationals and their family members, last updated on 2 August 2025; and what steps she plans to take to ensure that Ukrainian nationals living in the UK are updated about any future changes to visa (a) schemes and (b) expiration dates. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office provide updates to GOV.UK pages as it is required, updating information to ensure any changes that impact Ukrainians are clearly explained and noted.

The Home Office will continue to update GOV.UK, when necessary, with the latest information so individuals remain informed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of British Nationals (Overseas) visa holders on the white paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025. \p Mike Tapp: The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future. Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply and guidance is available to applicants to help them make their application.

We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to include the Skilled Worker Visa occupation code SOC 9119 under the Temporary Shortage Occupation List. \p Mike Tapp: On 2 July the Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee to review the long term composition of the Temporary Shortage List (TSL).

In future, as the Immigration White Paper sets out, for occupations with a skills requirement of RQF 3-5 (below degree level) where there have been long term shortages, we will only permit use of the Points-Based immigration system on a time limited basis where the MAC has advised it is justified, where there is a workforce strategy in place, and where employers seeking to recruit from abroad are committed to playing their part in increasing recruitment from the domestic workforce. Sectors will only be potentially added to the Temporary Shortage list if they are key to the industrial strategy or delivering critical infrastructure and following advice from the MAC.

I would encourage you to write to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on workforce matters for the fishing sector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many overseas care workers hold sponsorship visas which will expire within the next 12 months. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office publishes data on sponsored work visas by occupation in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on grants of visas for ‘Caring Personal Services’ occupations, by quarter, are published in table ‘Occ_D02’ of the sponsored work visas by occupation and industry dataset. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. Data is from January 2021 up to the end of June 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many overseas care workers are working on sponsorship visas from their employers. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office publishes data on sponsored work visas by occupation in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on grants of visas for ‘Caring Personal Services’ occupations, by quarter, are published in table ‘Occ_D02’ of the sponsored work visas by occupation and industry dataset. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. Data is from January 2021 up to the end of June 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what administrative steps her Department takes in relation to an overseas care worker whose sponsorship visa has (a) expired or (b) been terminated. \p Mike Tapp: There are no unique arrangements for care workers whose leave has expired and have been unable to find a suitable full-time vacancy in the sector prior to the expiration of their leave.

Individuals would be expected to regularise their stay or make arrangements to leave the UK.

Where employment has been terminated due to a sponsor being revoked or suspended, the worker is signposted to the relevant Regional Partnership for support.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of how many and what proportion of people who entered the UK on a skilled worker visa in each of the past ten years continue to (a) live in the UK and (b) work in an occupation on the qualifying list. \p Mike Tapp: Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems owned by multiple teams across the Home Office and, therefore, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Home Office publishes data on sponsored work visas by occupation in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on grants of visas are published in table ‘Occ_D02’ of the sponsored work visas by occupation and industry dataset. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. Data is from January 2021 up to the end of June 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support overseas carers unable to take up alternative employment as their employer’s sponsorship licence has been suspended and not yet revoked. \p Mike Tapp: Whilst a Sponsor is suspended, there is no impact on a worker’s ability to continue to remain in their employment. We do not predetermine an outcome related to their licence at this stage.

However, the Home Office have confirmed they will support these workers in the same way as those whose licence is revoked, via the relevant Regional Partnerships, should the workers seek that support.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of introducing digital identity systems on people living in (a) Inverness, (b) Skye and West Ross-shire constituency and (c) other rural areas with limited digital connectivity. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Government is committed to making the state more efficient and easier to interact with through harnessing technology. We want to learn from countries who have digitised government services for the benefit of their citizens.

We are looking at whether a new digital ID could help tackle illegal immigration, transform public services, and bring benefits to people’s everyday lives. This includes ensuring that services are always accessible to all those entitled to them, via digital and non-digital routes.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if the Government will allocate Ministerial responsibility for science centres to a specific Department. \p Kanishka Narayan: The UK’s Science and Discovery Centres have an important role in engaging the public with science and technology and in inspiring young people, particularly those from underrepresented groups, their primary role is as visitor centres focussed on the role of science in the UK’s culture. DSIT will engage with DCMS to discuss how government’s relationship with these important institutions can best be supported going forward.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many days the Union Flag was flown on her Department's main buildings in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Department is a customer of the Government Property Agency in its office locations, and the Agency is responsible for the flying of flags, including when the Union Flag is flown. The Department does not therefore keep a record of this.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what guidance the National Protective Security Authority has provided on using Virtual Private Networks. \p Kanishka Narayan: As part of our ongoing monitoring of the potential impact of circumvention techniques on the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act, Government is engaging with relevant bodies. However, the National Protective Security Authority has not provided the department with guidance on the use of VPNs.

The child safety duties are newly implemented and represent a major milestone in the protection of children online. It is now much harder for children to accidentally or intentionally access harmful content. Services that deliberately target UK children and promote VPNs to circumvent online safety measures could face enforcement action under the Act.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of digital exclusion on disabled people. \p Ian Murray: Those who don’t have access to, or cannot use digital technologies, including older people and disabled people, are likely to pay more for certain transactions, have worse health outcomes, and find it more difficult to manage their finances. Knock-on effects of digital exclusion can include difficulty accessing essential services and isolation from their community.

That’s why in February, we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan which outlines the first five actions we are taking over the next year on digital inclusion. One of these actions was to launch the £9.5mn Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to support and expand local community initiatives to get people online, which we did in August. All funded projects will support at least one of the focus demographic groups, which include older and disabled people.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that access to public services does not depend exclusively on the use of digital identity systems. \p Kanishka Narayan: GOV.UK One Login is being developed by Government Digital Service (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology), as the ‘front door’ for accessing government services online. Our aim is to make it as simple and inclusive as possible for individuals, while protecting them and the government from the risks of fraud.

Inclusion is at the heart of GOV.UK One Login - we provide several ways for individuals to verify their identity, including in person at the Post Office. While we expect it to become the primary method for accessing online government services, departments will continue to provide offline alternatives for those who prefer or are unable to use digital channels.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what the projected expansion is of the AI Research Resource in each year from 2025. \p Kanishka Narayan: The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy referenced the Government’s commitment to expand the Government’s AI Research Resource (AIRR) by at least 20x by 2030, accelerating AI innovation through significantly increased compute capacity and support for start-ups. The subsequent Compute Roadmap detailed how the Government intends to invest up to £2 billion to deliver a diverse, joined-up and user centered compute ecosystem. This includes over £1 billion to expand the AI Research Resource (AIRR) 20x by 2030 and up to £750 million for a new national supercomputer service in Edinburgh.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what the purpose is of the AI Energy Council. \p Kanishka Narayan: The AI Energy Council was established to address the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence.

Co-chaired by the Secretaries of State for DSIT and DESNZ, the Council brings together leaders from the AI and energy sectors to advise on preparing the UK’s energy system for the increasing energy demand of AI. It also explores how AI can support a modern, efficient, and sustainable energy system, aligned with Clean Power 2030 goals and the UK’s net zero ambitions.
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Sir John Whittingdale: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. \p Kanishka Narayan: 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. Details on the subsequent meetings will be set out in due course.
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Sir John Whittingdale: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. \p Kanishka Narayan: 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 course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of removing legislation that requires the Intellectual Property Office to seal patents with wax on (a) money and (b) time savings. \p Kanishka Narayan: Legislation requires that certified office copies, which verify the content of patent applications, are provided with a physical seal but the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) does not use wax. The IPO is exploring measures to modernise its services, this includes giving users the option of choosing between digital and paper certified copies. A consultation on this has revealed that the majority of users support the introduction of digital certified office copies alongside paper, with some highlighting that this would make processes more efficient, quicker and cheaper. Legislation to remove the requirement would be accompanied by an impact assessment in which these matters would be addressed.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help ensure that advertising of protein powders on social media is (a) accurate and (b) age-appropriate for young audiences. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Advertising Standards Authority regulates advertising in the UK across traditional forms of media and online. The UK Code of Non-Broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing, by the Committee for Advertising Practice, requires marketing communications to be legal, decent, honest and truthful. It includes rules on advertising to children, and on food, food supplements, and associated health or nutrition claims.

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms likely to be accessed by children must protect children from harmful and age-inappropriate content including eating disorder content and content which encourages self-administering of harmful substances.
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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help ensure the safe use of artificial intelligence. \p Kanishka Narayan: Artificial intelligence is the defining opportunity of our generation, and the Government is taking action to harness its economic benefits for UK citizens. As set out in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we believe most AI systems should be regulated at the point of use, with our expert regulators best placed to do so. Departments are working proactively with regulators to provide clear strategic direction and support them on their AI capability needs. Through well-designed and implemented regulation, we can fuel fast, wide and safe development and adoption of AI.
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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions he has had with stakeholders on the risks artificial intelligence poses to children; and what steps he is taking to mitigate those risks. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Government recognises the importance of this issue. We engage with a range of stakeholders on the impact of AI, including child safety experts.

As set out in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we believe most AI systems should be regulated at the point of use, with our expert regulators best placed to do so. Alongside this, the strongest protections in the Online Safety Act are for children, requiring in-scope services to protect all users from illegal content and children from encountering harmful content, including where it is AI generated.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Memorandum of Understanding between UK and OpenAI on AI opportunities, published on 21 July 2025, what steps his Department is taking to ensure safeguards are in place to protect public data when working alongside a commercial company. \p Kanishka Narayan: The government is committed to transparency, security, and the responsible use of emerging technologies. The Memorandum of Understanding with OpenAI is voluntary and non-binding. It does not grant access to public data or commit the Government to any expenditure.

The UK has one of the most robust data protection regimes in the world, and all organisations are required to comply with our legislation to safeguard UK personal data.

The Information Commissioner’s Office retains powers to investigate and enforce action where necessary, and individuals maintain legal recourse if their data is misused.
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the net financial impact of international students to the economy. \p Josh MacAlister: International students make a very significant contribution to the UK economy. Departmental statistics on education-related exports, published in June, estimated that international students contributed £21.06 billion to the UK economy in 2022 through their tuition fees and living expenditure.
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Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the contracted suppliers for the Disabled Students' Allowance are transparent with students on pricing. \p Josh MacAlister: Non-medical help hourly rates, together with any awards for travel, accommodation, or other costs, are supplied in the student’s entitlement letter, which outlines approved support. Additionally, the full breakdown of equipment costs is detailed in the needs assessment report, and students are entitled to request a copy of this report at any time. This means that students can see the costs associated with each element of their Disabled Students' Allowance support.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to uphold free speech in universities. \p Josh MacAlister: This government is absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom in universities. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, confirmed to Parliament on 15 January the government’s plans for the future of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which will create a more proportionate, balanced and less burdensome approach to protecting academic freedom and freedom of speech.

​On 28 April, the Secretary of State for Education signed commencement regulations, bringing the following provisions into force on 1 August 2025:
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Stephen Gethins:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to correspondence from the hon. Member for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry of 30 May 2025. \p Josh MacAlister: I can confirm that a response to the hon. Member for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry’s letter of 30 May was issued on 26 June 2025.
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Tom Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which services are set to be delivered by the Government’s new Best Start Family Hubs. \p Josh MacAlister: The Best Start Family Hubs programme will fund all local authorities in England to deliver services to support ages 0 to 5, with more funding for parent and home learning environment evidence-based interventions for ages 3 to 4, while retaining support for ages 0 to 19. Funding will improve outreach and introduce a new role to identify children with special educational needs and disabilities. Hubs will involve parents in decision-making, be open to all, and focus on disadvantaged communities. Professionals across local teams will collaborate, and a new digital hub will be created to support all parents. The initiative aims to strengthen early years support and accessibility nationwide.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of continued IPP incarceration on the mental health of prisoners; and what steps he is taking to ensure appropriate psychological support is available to those affected. \p Jake Richards: It is right that Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences were abolished. We are committed to working at pace to support the progression of all those serving the IPP sentence, but not in a way that undermines public protection.

The Government recognises that, for any prisoner serving an indeterminate sentence, the lack of certainty over a release date may adversely affect their mental health, as they are unable to plan for the future.

We are committed to improving outcomes for offenders with mental health needs, including IPP prisoners, and recognise the importance of providing the right interventions at the right time. All people in prison have access to integrated mental health services commissioned by NHS England. This includes access to a range of treatments and interventions within prison as set out in the national service specification for mental health care in prisons.

If a prisoner has a severe mental health need to an extent that detention under the Mental Health Act 1983 may be appropriate, they will be referred and assessed by qualified clinicians to determine whether a transfer to a mental health hospital is warranted.

The refreshed IPP Action Plan, published on 17 July 2025, commits HM Prison and Probation Service to target support towards those who most need it and to further understanding the individual needs of those serving the IPP sentence.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff by headcount are employed by HM Prison and Probation Service to work on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI); at what grades they are employed; and how many of these are standalone EDI roles. \p Jake Richards: Our workforce data does not identify what proportion of each employee’s role involves working on equality, diversity and inclusion. It is therefore not possible to provide the requested information without incurring disproportionate cost.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made in improving the effectiveness of body scanners in monitoring the flow of (a) drugs, (b) weapons and (c) other contraband into prisons. \p Jake Richards: The Ministry of Justice is committed to taking every possible measure to strengthen prison security. Every prison in the closed adult male estate is equipped with a body scanner. They are used to prevent illicit drugs, mobile phones and other contraband from entering prisons.

As of March 2024, over 53,000 positive indications had been recorded by our X-ray body scanners. This demonstrates the clear impact they are having.

A full evaluation of the Security Investment Programme was undertaken. The findings of the evaluation have been published and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/security-investment-programme-evaluation.
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Maya Ellis:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to allow a newborn child's father to have automatic parental rights over his child in light of the mother’s death during childbirth. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Government has no plans to bring forward legislation to grant automatic parental responsibility to a father in unfortunate circumstances where the mother dies during childbirth.

In England and Wales, a father only acquires parental responsibility automatically if he is married to, or in a civil partnership with the mother at any point between the conception or the birth of the child, or he subsequently marries or enters a civil partnership with the mother. In other cases, parental responsibility may be obtained through formal agreement with the mother, being named on the birth certificate, or a court order. The Government recognises that in cases where the mother dies during childbirth, the father, if not married to the mother at the time of the birth, may be unable to acquire parental responsibility through the usual mechanisms. In such cases, the family courts retain discretion to grant parental responsibility based on the child’s welfare and the circumstances of the case.

The Government is aware of the calls to broaden the parental responsibility measure in the Victims and Courts Bill to include instances where an individual has been convicted of rape and a child has been conceived as a result of that offence. We are carefully considering these suggestions as the Bill progresses through Parliament.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to reform the tribunal process to make it more cost-effective for small businesses seeking redress for late payments. \p Sarah Sackman: Claims for late payment are generally made as specified money claims to the County Court and not to a specific tribunal.  We are taking multiple steps to drive improvements and reduce delays in the County Court which will result in better experience including for small businesses.

We are investing in the Court’s digital infrastructure. Our new digital services (such as Online Civil Money Claims) are supporting swifter access to justice with reduced processing times, and more engagement with the justice system as evidenced by higher levels of defended claims and admissions for cases. Cases which can progress on digital services consistently progress three times quicker from the time the claim is issued to the generation of a Standard Directions Order.

The introduction of mandatory mediation for money claims under £10,000 via the HM Courts & Tribunals Service Small Claims Mediation Service has enabled a larger number of claims to be settled earlier, at lower cost and without requiring a final judicial hearing.  Additionally, the extension of Fixed Recoverable Costs to most civil claims under £100,000 is delivering access to justice at proportionate cost by making it clear at the start of proceedings the adverse costs that parties are liable to pay. This allows small businesses in litigation to make an informed choice about whether and how to proceed.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that appeals for education, health and care plans for SEND children reaching tribunal are processed swiftly. \p Sarah Sackman: We acknowledge that more needs to be done to reduce the time parents and young people have to wait to have their appeals heard and determined in the First-tier Tribunal (SEND). We are continuing to invest in the recruitment of up to 1,000 judges and tribunal members across all jurisdictions this year, including specific recruitment for the FTT, including SEND, which will increase judicial capacity.

Alongside this, we are supporting the Tribunal Procedure Committee’s consultation on allowing suitable, lower complexity cases to be determined on the papers—subject to judicial discretion and the option to opt-out—so that hearing time is reserved for the most complex matters. A judicial alternative dispute resolution pilot is also helping to resolve appropriate disputes earlier.

The pressures facing the Tribunal are indicative of wider pressures in the SEND system.  We are working with the Department for Education in the longer term to reduce the demands on the tribunal so that the outstanding caseload, and the time taken for the tribunal to determine appeals, is reduced.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been for using (i) ghost and (ii) cloned licence plates in each of the last five years. \p Sarah Sackman: The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions for a wide range of offences, including offences relating to motor vehicle licence, trade licence, registration mark, trade plate and registration book offences (except forgery and deception offences) (MOT) in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.

However, it is not possible to identify specifically offences relating to ghost or clone licensing. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_181

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 74306 on Ministry of Justice: Social Media, how much his Department has spent on promotion through social media influencers since July 2024 broken down by influencer. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Ministry of Justice uses social media, influencers and online advertising to support the department in delivering its key priorities. These priorities include our recruitment campaigns for prison officers, probation officers and magistrates which help to ensure our front-line services are safely resourced and able to deliver swift access to justice as well as our campaigns that support victims of crime access the support they need. Commercial sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.
wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_182
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_182

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many days the Union Flag was flown on his Department's main buildings in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Union Flag was flown on every available day throughout 2024 and 2025 at 102 Petty France, subject to other designated flag flying days where the Union Flag was not flown. On days where there were excess wind speeds no flags were flown and we did not record the number of occasions this happened.
wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_183
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_183

Sarah Owen:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with UK Deaf Sport on funding for athletes competing in the Tokyo 25 Summer Deaflympics. \p Stephanie Peacock: Our Arm's Length Body, Sport England, has committed £1.2 million between 2022 and 2027 to support deaf sport at the grassroots level, build wider participation, and develop strong governance within UK Deaf Sport.

Sport England are also exploring a series of small-scale talent pilots for d/Deaf athletes. These pilots will see Sport England, National Governing Bodies, and UK Deaf Sport working together to explore issues around accessibility and suggest potential solutions. Sport England has also awarded UK Deaf Sport £150,000 to fund a specialist Talent Inclusion post to further the work of the pilots.
wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_184
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_184

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has spent money on social media influencers since July 2024. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has spent money on social media influencers since July 2024. Influencers can be effective in reaching audiences that the Government and traditional marketing channels find hard to reach.
wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_185
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_185

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ensure that television documentaries that contain pornographic scenes are (a) censored and (b) blocked. \p Ian Murray: Broadcast regulation is a matter for the independent regulator Ofcom. The Broadcasting Code prohibits material equivalent to the British Board of Film Classification R18-rating. Adult sex material, as defined by Ofcom, must not be broadcast at any time other than between 10pm and 5.30am on channels with mandatory restricted access, such as requiring a PIN.

Broadcasters must ensure that material broadcast after the 9pm watershed, which contains images and/or language of a strong or explicit sexual nature, but is not ‘adult sex material’, is justified by the context. Representations of sexual intercourse must not occur before the watershed, unless there is a serious educational purpose.
wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_186
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_186

Monica Harding:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a capital investment programme to support the renovation of local arts centres. \p Ian Murray: We are working closely with the sector to understand the needs of arts centres, which are integral to communities up and down the country. Through sector engagement, as well as the recent Arup and Future Arts Centres report, Evaluating Capital Investment Needs for Arts Centres in the UK, we are aware that arts centres are facing significant challenges with their estates.

The £85 million Creative Foundations Fund (CFF), launched by this government earlier this year, is supporting arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates, including essential renovations and repairs. An important part of this government’s growth mission, this fund aims to strengthen the long-term economic viability of the creative and cultural industries. Arts centres that met the criteria were eligible to apply for the fund, and Arts Council England have notified all those that submitted Expressions of Interest of who is being taken forward to the full application stage. The Arts Council will notify all applicants of the outcome of their full application and commit all funding by 31 March 2026.

Whilst we do not have any plans to launch a capital investment programme specifically for arts centres, we were able to secure significant investment at the Spending Review for Arts, Culture and Heritage infrastructure. The Spending Review sets out DCMS’s high-level funding settlement and we will share further details in due course.
wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_187
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_187

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her planned timetable is for publishing the outcome of the Arts Council England review. \p Ian Murray: Baroness Hodge will share her findings with the government in the Autumn of 2025, and the government will publish the conclusions of the review along with the government’s response in 2026.
wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_188
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_188

Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Scottish Government on Scotland’s short-term let regulatory regime. \p Ian Murray: DCMS Ministers met with the Scottish tourism minister in July 2025 as part of the Devolved Administrations' Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) for Tourism, where Short-Term Lets were briefly discussed. Additionally, DCMS officials meet regularly with their counterparts in the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Government, to discuss issues related to tourism, including short-term lets.
wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_189
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_189

Mr Clive Betts:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of alcohol advertising regulations in reducing (a) cancer and (b) other alcohol-related harms. \p Ian Murray: As highlighted in the Government’s ‘Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England’, the UK spends a greater proportion of its healthcare budget on diseases caused by excess alcohol consumption than the OECD average. To help tackle this, the Government has committed to introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages to help consumers make more informed, healthier choices.
wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_190
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_190

Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of press regulation in preventing press intrusion. \p Ian Murray: Our aim as a Government is ensuring the balance is right between press freedom and instances of intrusion. The government recognises that for victims and their families, incidents of undue attention and harassment from the media cause significant distress. In the UK, there exists an independent, self-regulatory system for the press, which is important for press freedom, and the Government therefore does not intervene in or oversee the work of press regulators in preventing press intrusion. These independent regulators enforce codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas, including on accuracy, privacy and harassment. We are also clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility, and newspapers must operate within the bounds of the law and have a responsibility to uphold high professional and ethical standards. This includes ensuring access to clear, timely and effective routes to redress.
wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_191
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_191

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed loan of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece on trends in the number of visitors to the (a) British Museum and (b) UK in the next five years. \p Ian Murray: No such assessment has been made.
wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_192
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-17 conversation_192

Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of HMRC’s procedures for (a) identifying and (b) protecting people who are victims of crime. \p Dan Tomlinson: The government takes the issue of fraud extremely seriously, recognising its impact on businesses and taxpayers.

HMRC regularly reviews its approach to identifying and supporting customers who are victims of crime to ensure they are provided with support tailored to their individual circumstances.

HMRC is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales, and equivalent frameworks in Scotland and Northern Ireland, ensuring they are afforded the rights and entitlements set out in the Code.

HMRC does this by ensuring guidance and training is in place for all advisors on how to identify taxpayers who need extra support and provide reasonable adjustments to meet their needs. For example, in certain circumstances HMRC can give an extension to a deadline or spend more time on the telephone to support an individual who needs extra help. Further information on this and other reasonable adjustments can be found at: Get help from HMRC if you need extra support: Help you can get - GOV.UK.

In addition, HMRC’s Fraud Prevention Centre focuses on protecting, detecting and responding to identity-related security issues, developing this service with improvements aimed at aligning with industry best practice.

HMRC has published its commitment to supporting customers in the HMRC Charter and the principles of support for customers who need extra help.