Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what representations she received from the Metropolitan Police Service on the People's Republic of China's application to develop Royal Mint Court between 1 November 2024 and 15 February 2025; and whether a copy of correspondence on this matter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
No such representations have been received by the department from the Metropolitan Police Service.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the finding in the Transnational Repression Origin Country Case Study by Freedom House that an increase in the presence of state employees from the People's Republic of China in a particular country brings an attendant increase in transnational repression; and whether this will be taken into account when considering the application of the People's Republic of China to redevelop Royal Mint Court.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
As set out in a joint letter by the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary to the Planning Inspector on 14 January, the Home Office has considered the breadth of national security issues in relation to the planning application.
It would not be appropriate to comment in further detail on specific matters relating to national security.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the findings of the report by Freedom from Torture entitled No Questions Asked: UK universities provide postgraduate security education to security personnel from torturing states, published in February 2025.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Universities are independent from government and manage their own admissions decisions. However, the department expects the higher education sector to be responsible and alert to regulatory risks when collaborating with international partners, conducting appropriate due diligence to comply with all legislation, including the Human Rights Act 1998, and the registration conditions set by the Office for Students (OfS).
Any international arrangements made by registered higher education providers in England must be within the law and must comply with the registration conditions set by the OfS, including a commitment to their public interest governance principles.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she had discussions with the Metropolitan Police on the cost of (a) overtime payments for officers, (b) additional resources, (c) equipment, (d) special measures and (e) mutual aid costs arising from the policing of the protest outside the Royal Mint court on 8 February 2025.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Public order policing is an operational matter for forces.
We are in frequent contact with the MPS on a range of issues and have just agreed a funding settlement that will provide the force with up to £3.8 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £249.7 million.
This includes the funding MPS receives through the National and International Capital City (NICC) Grant to support with the additional demands London faces as the nation’s capital and seat of Government, including additional protests. The NICC will be £248.7 million in 2025-26 an increase of £63.4 million.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the Consular Assistance (Journalists) Bill.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is considering its response to the Private Member's Bill "to make provision for a right to consular assistance for British journalists abroad who have been detained or held hostage; and for connected purposes" and will respond to the Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee in due course.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will support legislative proposals to establish a legal right to consular assistance for British nationals.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is committed to strengthening consular services, including introducing a right to consular assistance in cases of human rights violations. My department is considering a package of measures to achieve this, which we will announce in due course.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she has taken with the Advertising Standards Authority to tackle online gambling advertisements (a) targeting children and (b) failing to disclose the presence of (i) loot boxes and (ii) other gambling-like features in mobile games.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Gambling operators must ensure that their advertising is not targeted at children and must not appear in media created for children or for which children make up 25% or more of the audience. Operators must also ensure that they take all reasonable steps to use data available to exclude individuals on the basis of their age or other relevant criteria. These rules are required as part of the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP). The ASA continues to closely monitor and enforce compliance but, if needed, can refer gambling operators’ advertising to the Gambling Commission which can and do take action. The ASA’s rulings on breaches of loot box advertising code requirements are available at: https://www.asa.org.uk/codes-and-rulings/rulings.html
DCMS officials regularly meet the Advertising Standards Authority to discuss a range of issues, including its view on whether ads for apps, video games and other online products that feature random-item purchasing mechanisms sufficiently disclose this fact in the content of the advertisement. Through ‘Guidance on Advertising In-game Purchases’ and ASA rulings, the ASA system sets and applies standards to mitigate the potential for ads to mislead consumers about the cost of in-game purchases, whether games contain them, and how they might affect gameplay. The ASA’s sister body, the Committee of Advertising Practice, is currently deliberating whether and, if so, on what basis, to take further action in this aspect of its regulation.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a ban on gambling advertisements in video games PEGI rated 18 and under.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Gambling operators must ensure that their advertising is not targeted at children and must not appear in media created for children or for which children make up 25% or more of the audience. Operators must also ensure that they take all reasonable steps to use data available to exclude individuals on the basis of their age or other relevant criteria. These rules are required as part of the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP). The ASA continues to closely monitor and enforce compliance but, if needed, can refer gambling operators’ advertising to the Gambling Commission which can and do take action. The ASA’s rulings on breaches of loot box advertising code requirements are available at: https://www.asa.org.uk/codes-and-rulings/rulings.html
DCMS officials regularly meet the Advertising Standards Authority to discuss a range of issues, including its view on whether ads for apps, video games and other online products that feature random-item purchasing mechanisms sufficiently disclose this fact in the content of the advertisement. Through ‘Guidance on Advertising In-game Purchases’ and ASA rulings, the ASA system sets and applies standards to mitigate the potential for ads to mislead consumers about the cost of in-game purchases, whether games contain them, and how they might affect gameplay. The ASA’s sister body, the Committee of Advertising Practice, is currently deliberating whether and, if so, on what basis, to take further action in this aspect of its regulation.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with gambling (a) companies and (b) operators on (i) advertising to (A) children and (B) other vulnerable people and (ii) their compliance with advertising codes of conduct.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As the Gambling Minister set out in her speech at the GambleAware conference in December 2024, the industry has now been set a clear task to further raise standards to ensure that gambling advertising is appropriate, responsible, and does not exacerbate harm, and this work will be monitored closely.
There are a range of robust rules in place to ensure that gambling adverts, wherever they appear, are socially responsible and do not target children. The ASA continues to closely monitor and enforce compliance but, if needed, can refer gambling operators’ advertising to the Gambling Commission which can and does take action.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to ensure that funds potentially owed by Roman Abramovich to HMRC are (a) investigated and (b) reclaimed.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
I cannot comment on specific taxpayers or provide comment on individuals or businesses.
However, at the Budget, the Government announced the most ambitious ever package to close the tax gap, to raise £6.5 billion in additional tax revenue per year by 2029-30.
This includes recruiting 5,000 additional compliance staff to make sure people pay the tax that is due, including against serious offshore non-compliance and fraud by the wealthy. Offshore evasion is an international issue that calls for international solutions
The UK is leading international efforts to improve global transparency and we are committed to ensuring everyone pays the right tax under the law, regardless of wealth or status.