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, if he will list each Non-Legally Binding Instruments that has been signed by the department and its Arms Length Bodies since July 2024 other than those subject to the sensitive diplomatic, security or defence interest provisions.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 17 June in response to Question 8068.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the Second Permanent Secretary has been seconded to the Blavatnik School of Government; and whether the Civil Service is funding his salary.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The secondment to the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford forms part of the Civil Service's commitment to promoting the exchange of skills, knowledge and experience between government and external organisations. As is standard for secondments, Defra continues to pay the Second Permanent Secretary’s salary and Defra is being reimbursed by Oxford University for his role there.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of full-time staff on full pay in her Department work compressed hours over a four day week.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As of June 2026, there are 301 full-time payroll staff on full pay in Defra who work compressed hours over a four-day week. This equates to 5.2% of the total number of full-time payroll staff on full pay.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Deposited Paper, DEP2026-0371, committed on 19 May 2026, on Civil Service facility time framework and guidance, whether there will be new or revised guidance to schools on trade union facility time.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department will be seeking views from unions and employer representatives on whether it is beneficial to provide updated guidance for schools on trade union facility time, or whether it is adequately covered by other sources of guidance.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any Non-Legally Binding Instruments have been signed by her Department and its Arms Length Bodies since July 2024 other than those subject to sensitive diplomatic, security and defence interest provisions.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department does not hold a single central register of all non-legally binding instruments signed by Defra and its Arm's Length Bodies. Some non-legally binding instruments signed since July 2024 include environmental cooperation memoranda of understanding with China and Indonesia; a fertilisers cooperation memorandum with Brazil; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew memoranda with Chinese scientific and botanical institutions; a Defra-RBG Kew Seeds to Trees memorandum; a UK-China Food Safety, Animal and Plant Quarantine memorandum; and bilateral arrangements reached with Vietnam, Uruguay and Canada under Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in connection with establishing the UK’s independent WTO Goods Schedule.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether any Non-Legally Binding Instruments have been signed by her Department and its Arms Length Bodies since July 2024 other than those subject to sensitive diplomatic, security and defence interest provisions.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
There is no consolidated list of the number of Non-Legally Binding Instruments across the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and its arm’s length bodies. We do not routinely publish or collate this information.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many headcount staff in her Department are (a) members of the Government Communication Network and (b) embedded communicators but are not counted as members of the Government Communication Network.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department's communications team comprises 53.7 FTE, all of whom are members of the Government Communication Service. The Department has no embedded communications staff.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Gambling Commission on a timetable for a new permanent appointment for its chief executive.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The timetable for appointing a permanent Chief Executive to the Gambling Commission is a matter for the Gambling Commission’s Board. Any appointment will be subject to the Secretary of State agreeing terms and conditions.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the answer of 17 April 2026 to Question 123653 on Gambling Commission: Staff, whether Gambling Commission staff are (a) civil and (b) crown servants.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Gambling Commission staff are neither civil nor crown servants. They are public servants who act on behalf of the Crown to regulate the commercial gambling industry.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2026 to Question 4161 on Government departments: marketing, how much has been spent on branded goods and merchandise by the Department since the Government Chief Commercial Officer letter was sent; and on what items.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) can confirm that it has incurred no expenditure on branded goods and events.