Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to his Department's press release entitled New mapping tool launched to help bring healthy food to those who need it most, published on 8 July 2025, who will run the state-subsidised eateries in (a) Dundee and (b) Nottingham; and if he will publish the project (a) specification and (b) plan for the DISHED: co-designing innovative infrastructure for sustainable healthy and equitable diets’ piloting public restaurants scheme.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has funded six projects under its “Health inequalities in the food system” programme, announced on 8 July 2025. These projects aim to understand the causes of dietary health inequalities and explore interventions for equitable, healthy consumption. ‘DISHED: co-designing innovative infrastructure for sustainable healthy and equitable diets’ is a funded project within this programme, which will examine different models of public restaurants in Dundee and Nottingham to assess their feasibility in current UK contexts. The project is led by an academic principal investigator. Full grant details will be published on the UKRI Gateway to Research website in due course.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether applicants for company directorships on the Companies House register can nominate Palestinian as their nationality.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
‘Palestinian’ is included in the list of nationalities permitted for the purposes of company filings. The full list of nationalities and geographical names is available at the link below:
Nationalities and countries for company filings - GOV.UK
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the public purse of joining the European Defence Security Fund.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
This Government has delivered an ambitious security and defence partnership with the European Union. The Strategic Defence Review will strengthen NATO, the cornerstone of the UK’s defence, and it will help grow the economy. It allows us to step up on Euro-Atlantic security together and ensures we are able to explore UK access to Security Action for Europe (SAFE). We are working with our European partners to understand how an arrangement might work. The exact detail of UK participation will be subject to discussions on the specific terms of a UK-EU bilateral participation agreement; we do not wish to pre-empt the outcome of any such negotiations. This Government wants the right deal on the right terms.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS staff who are on strike are permitted to work for (a) non-NHS bodies, (b) other NHS trusts and (c) other NHS organisations during days of industrial action.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS staff who are on strike are allowed to work for non-NHS bodies and other NHS organisations including NHS trusts on days of industrial action, as long as they are not provided by an employment business to cover the work of striking workers. Some employment contracts may require employees to either declare to or seek permission from their employer before working for another employer.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Certification Officer has received the BDO auditor's report on the Unite trade union's hotel and conference centre development.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Certification Officer has received the BDO auditor's report and is currently reviewing this.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the proposed socio-economic duty will apply to fiscal decisions made by her Department.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Office for Equality and Opportunity in the Cabinet Office is currently working toward commencement of the duty. This includes drafting statutory guidance which will clarify how the duty can be applied effectively.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Jonathan Powell was involved in the negotiation of the UK–Mauritius agreement on the Chagos Archipelago as National Security Adviser.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the Answer given on 24 February 2025 to Question 30609.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Lords' Commissioners of the Treasury will next meet.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
There are no plans for the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury to meet.
As set out in the Annual Report and Accounts, the Treasury Board met once since July 2024 and the Chancellor of the Exchequer was in attendance.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to repeal the assimilated EU law of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1816 in relation to the classification of controversial weapons under the (a) UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and (b) UK Paris-aligned benchmarks to prevent divestment in (i) Trident renewal and (ii) sub-contractors who undertake Trident-related contracts.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the former Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Ms Reynolds) on 9 April 2025 to Questions 43043 and 43449 to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr Glen).
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2025 to Question 66658 on Official Hospitality: Lancaster House, how much was spent on alcohol at the event.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
£56 was spent on wine. All other drinks at the event were provided by sponsors.