Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he is considering placing Fujitsu on the High Risk Vendor list as a result of its involvement in the Horizon IT system failures.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The High Risk Vendor process is not one that the Department for Business and Trade is responsible for.
We welcome Fujitsu’s acknowledgement of their moral obligation to contribute to the cost of the Horizon scandal. Fujitsu have also announced they will voluntarily not bid for new contracts unless requested by Government. The contract with Fujitsu to supply the Post Office Limited’s IT system is time limited - we are working with the Post Office and Fujitsu to ensure the transition is as soon as practically possible.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 57631 on Horizon IT System: Compensation, whether the Government has formally invited Fujitsu to re-bid for the Trader Support Service.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
All of our contract opportunities are publicly available through Contracts Finder and/or Find-a-Tender Service and are available to any economic operator that is able to meet the requirements of the procurement in compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 or The Procurement Regulations 2024, as applicable.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Trader Support Service being delivered by a contractor involved in the Horizon scandal on UK trade operations.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Trader Support Services contract was procured in compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Existing service delivery is managed robustly by contract management teams in compliance with this legislation and to ensure that the requirements of UK traders are met under the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of awarding the Trader Support Service contract to Fujitsu on the reputation of that service.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
We follow government procurement rules. All of our contract opportunities are publicly available through Contracts Finder and/or Find-a-Tender Service and are available to any economic operator that is able to meet the requirements of the procurement in compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 or The Procurement Regulations 2024, as applicable. Under the applicable legislation, there are no legal grounds that prevent Fujitsu from expressing its interest in this procurement. It is not appropriate to comment on any potential outcomes of a live public procurement.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Lord Mandelson has disposed of his shares in Global Counsel or placed them in the hands of a trustee in order to guard against a conflict of interest.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There is a robust and established process in place for the management of interests held by all Senior Civil Servants. This process is designed to identify and, where necessary, mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest. This process applies in the normal way to Lord Mandelson's appointment. It is improper to discuss the specifics of any individual case.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department makes an assessment of whether potential (a) ambassadors and (b) high commissioners have had a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before they are recommended for appointment.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All those appointed to Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office roles undergo pre-employment checks and National Security Vetting. All Ambassador and High Commissioner roles require Developed Vetting (DV) level National Security clearance. DV is the most detailed and comprehensive form of security clearance. The purpose of these personnel security controls is to ensure that a person's character and personal circumstances are such that they can be trusted to work in a position which may involve access to sensitive assets or sensitive sites. DV clearance is required before an Ambassador or High Commissioner take up their appointment and is regularly reviewed.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to require solar farm developers to utilise bonds in order to cover the costs of decommissioning.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We do not currently have plans to require solar and battery projects to be covered by decommissioning bonds.
Solar farms are normally temporary structures and planning conditions can be used to ensure that the installations are removed when no longer in use and the land is restored to its previous use. Solar panels can be decommissioned relatively easily and cheaply. It is a legal requirement for any company that imports, manufactures or rebrands solar products to join a ‘Producer Compliance Scheme’, which then ensures their legal obligations are met, most significantly for the collection and recycling of old PV panels.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the weight of volumetric concrete mixers on the average number of miles driven by concrete mixers each year from 2028 onwards.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department ran a call for evidence from October to December 2023 seeking views on three potential options on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs). The following factors were considered: reduction in payload per journey, increased waste, and increased vehicle mileage. Information received did not provide any compelling evidence for permitting a weight limit exemption specifically for VCMs on the grounds of mileage.
This is not a change to the policy on weights for VCMs but a decision to continue with the existing policy that a temporary exemption will come to an end in 2028.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what grounds her Department decided to extend the opening of papers relating to the 1959 murder of Martha Giles to 2055.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
During a review of the records held at The National Archives concerning the murder of Martha Giles, a record was found to contain the personal data of several individuals who are assumed to still be living. Consequently, in accordance with the 100-year principle that is set out in the Guide to Archiving Personal Data, the record in question will be kept closed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the assumed lifetime of the youngest individual identified (2055).
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if monies will be noted in the April budget which includes the interim payment for people impacted by Valproate.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Spring Statement demonstrated that the Government has taken the decisions necessary to provide security, reform the state, and grow the economy. The Government remains committed to holding only one major fiscal event a year, to give families and businesses the certainty they need on tax and spending changes.
The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex area of work, involving several Government departments, and it is important that we get this right. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity.