Mark Pritchard

The Contempt of Court Act 1981 is clear that publishing information that creates a substantial risk of serious prejudice or impediment to any active proceedings can be contempt of court. These rules and restrictions are in place to ensure that trials are fair and justice is delivered.

The Government recognises that social media is putting these long-established rules under strain especially in cases where partial or inaccurate information appears online. This is why we asked the Law Commission to expedite part of their review on contempt of court. In November 2025, the Law Commission published part 1 of their report setting out recommendations for a new framework of contempt liability. The Government is considering their recommendations.

While we cannot comment on ongoing incidents and operational matters, we continuously monitor any potential UK impact and will activate our cyber incident management structures as required.

The UK’s approach to mitigating cyber risks facing telecoms providers in the UK is set out in law by the Telecommunications Security Act (TSA) and the associated Code of Practice. UK telecommunications operators should remain vigilant to cyber threats and are encouraged to take action by meeting the requirements of the Act, even ahead of full implementation.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) make a vital contribution to economic growth and are a valuable source of technical innovation in defence. This is recognised in the Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent, as well as the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) Social Value policies.

The MOD has also announced the launch of an SME Support Centre to provide SMEs with better access to the defence supply chain and has committed to set direct SME spending targets, ensuring that thousands of small businesses in the UK, including those in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, will benefit from the decision to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP.

The new National Procurement Policy Statement requires contracting authorities to maximise their spend with SMEs and VCSEs, ensuring thousands of businesses across the country have greater opportunities to win public contracts. This approach actively drives local economic growth, creates jobs and fosters innovation in places right across the country including in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

The Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) 2004 and the associated Regulations deliver a single framework for civil protection in the UK. While emergency regulations could be brought into force immediately during a crisis they must be presented to Parliament as soon as practicable after being made, ensuring parliamentary oversight. The Cabinet Office has a legal obligation to review the CCA every five years. The most recent review was published in March 2022 and concluded that the Act continues to achieve its stated objectives.

The Ministry of Defence keeps all relevant legislation under review to ensure it remains fit for purpose and appropriate to the operational context, this includes the Emergency Powers Act 1964. Using the Emergency Powers Act requires Defence Council Order and considerable policy, legal and financial scrutiny including specific Ministerial approval.

There are no current plans to amend either of these Acts.

As set out in the Plan For Change, this Government’s first duty is to make the UK safer, more secure, and resilient against the growing and interconnected threats from state, state-linked and non-state actors. We are committed to working across Government, as well as with partners internationally and in the private sector and academia, to prevent harm; deter and disrupt threats; respond effectively to incidents; and recover swiftly.

Work is already underway across Government to deliver this commitment, and requirements for any new structures or groupings will be kept under review, including in the context of the ongoing development of the National Security Strategy.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 21st March is attached.

It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.

In October last year, Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21 million for failing to meet its quality of service targets and has told Royal Mail it must urgently publish and implement a credible plan that delivers major and continuous improvement. This is the third consecutive fine issued by the regulator after Royal Mail failed to meet service levels in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 financial years.

Consumer law prohibits commercial practices involving misleading actions or omissions that might lead the average consumer to make a different decision. This includes misleading consumers about where a trader is based or where items must be returned to.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act strengthens consumer law enforcement by giving the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) new administrative powers, and the CMA and courts the ability to impose significant monetary penalties of up to 10% of turnover.

In 2024, food and drink trade between the West Midlands and the US was worth £68 million.

We concluded a landmark economic deal with the US on 8 May. This deal will protect thousands of jobs, protect key British industries, and help drive economic growth.

Due to the nature of the deal, negotiations will continue on a range of areas and benefits will be felt over time.

We will continue to act in Britain’s national interest including for workers, businesses and families in Shropshire.

As the UK’s independent competition authority, the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) has discretion to investigate competition cases which, according to its prioritisation principles, it considers most appropriate. The Government has ensured that the CMA has significant powers to investigate and act if it finds that businesses are behaving anti-competitively in a market.

Cosmetics products must comply with some of the strongest safety standards in the world before they can be placed on the GB market. Government works with local enforcement authorities to take effective action when products are identified that do not meet these safety requirements, ensuring unsafe items are removed from sale.

Government has introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, which explicitly recognises the role of online marketplaces to ensure consumers are protected from unsafe products. We intend to use the powers in the Bill to introduce requirements on e-commerce models to help prevent the sale of unsafe products online.

The Government recognises the role of community energy in delivering net zero and is working with Ofgem to address regulatory barriers, including routes to market. Through developing the Local Power Plan we are working with Great British Energy to explore measures to make it easier for community energy groups to participate in local energy markets.

The department, Ofgem and wider energy industry has also been working to make changes to industry rules to support the local trade of energy, including standardising the classification of local energy sites to provide a regulatory footing that will clarify the rules of setting them up, P441. Further updates and outcomes from this work will be provided in due course.

Great British Energy will lead the way in ethical supply chains, and there is no place for forced labour or unethical practices in the UK's energy transition. The Procurement Act 2023 enables public bodies to reject bids and terminate contracts with suppliers known to use forced labour. As a state-owned company, Great British Energy is expected to be a first-in-class example of adherence to the UK’s legislation and guidance on modern slavery, including the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

All contracts issued under the schools and hospitals solar initiative have complied with UK procurement rules, including extensive requirements under the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Great British Energy will uphold these standards in its contracting arrangements and is actively engaging with international partners to raise the bar globally on solar supply chain accountability.

The Government is committed to tackling forced labour in solar supply chains, including in Xinjiang. We are strengthening due diligence requirements through the implementation of the Procurement Act 2023 and by reviewing Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act

The Solar Roadmap outlines actions to build ethical, resilient supply chains, including support for the Solar Stewardship Initiative, which is conducting independent audits of manufacturers. Furthermore, Great British Energy (GBE) is committed to acting on any evidence of forced labour in its supply chains, as required by the GBE Act.

We are currently reviewing the policy design, including the timelines for introduction, to ensure that it remains fair and proportionate for landlords and tenants. We plan to publish a response to the consultation as early as possible this year.

The Government has committed to consult in June 2025 on including battery storage sites within scope of the Environmental Permitting Regulations.

We are continuing to work closely with the industry-led Electricity Storage Health and Safety Governance Group, to ensure that a robust health and safety framework for batteries is sustained.

Satellite connectivity can complement the coverage provided by terrestrial mobile networks. Mobile network operators have already for example, used satellite services to provide backhaul to some Shared Rural Network sites where it is challenging to provide traditional fibre or microwave backhaul, and to increase network resilience. Many modern handsets already have text-based emergency satellite connectivity.

Ofcom recently consulted on proposals to authorise Direct to Device satellite services in certain mobile spectrum bands in the UK. These proposals could enable people to make satellite calls from their mobile phones, which may extend coverage to the most remote areas. This consultation is an important step towards enabling these services.

The government is clear that we expect significant improvements in children's online safety as platforms comply with their duties under the Online Safety Act.

Ofcom's child safety codes include over 40 measures to hold platforms accountable, ensuring safer social media with less harmful content, protection from strangers, and effective age checks.

Ofcom are clear that they will take strong enforcement action if companies do not take the necessary steps protect children. Where we need to strengthen the law to protect children online, we will do so.

Child online safety is of the utmost importance to the government. Under the Online Safety Act, user-to-user services likely to be accessed by children must protect them from harmful content. Ofcom’s draft codes of practice include recommendations for services to meet these duties, including ensuring that algorithms do not target children with harmful content.

Any attempt by malign state actors to interfere in the UK’s information environment is unacceptable. The Foreign Interference Offence is a priority offence in the Online Safety Act, it requires all in-scope companies to take action against a range of state-linked disinformation and interference online.

Government is committed to tackling the harm posed by the creation of non-consensual intimate images. We are bringing forward legislation to criminalise this behaviour in the Data (Use and Access) Bill. The new legislation will ensure that offenders face the appropriate punishments for this atrocious harm.

The sharing of or threatening to share a deepfake intimate image without consent is already a criminal offence under the Online Safety Act and was designated as a priority offence in November 2024. Companies in scope of the Act’s illegal safety duties will be required to proactively tackle this type of content, preventing its proliferation online.

Non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes are degrading and harmful. We refuse to tolerate the violence against women and girls that stains our society, which is why we’ve brought forward legislation in the Data (Use and Access) Bill to ban their creation as quickly as possible.

The Home Office is funding the police to detect and remove illegal deepfake images and are working closely with them to improve officers understanding of this emerging threat.

The Government is committed to ensuring that video games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone, particularly children, and that where they contain in-app purchases, guidance is followed so that consumers of all ages can play with confidence.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) are responsible for setting and enforcing the UK Advertising Codes and are independent of the government. CAP codifies standards for non-broadcast advertising, which includes online and in-game advertisements, as part of its UK Non-Broadcast Advertising Code (‘CAP Code’). In September 2021, CAP consulted on, and published, specific guidance on in-game purchases, which covers types of in-game storefronts, platforms for purchasing games, and broader advertising for the games themselves. The guidance was subsequently reviewed and updated in May 2024. This guidance reiterates that, where an ad is directed at children, there should be no direct exhortation to purchase or ask a parent or guardian to purchase.

The Government is committed to spreading the benefits of our world-leading film and TV sector across the country. The Creative Industries Sector Plan, published in June 2025, announced a £75 million Screen Growth Package, which includes dedicated funding for Production Support Services across England's regions outside London.

As part of this initiative, DCMS and BFI are revising the approach to production service support, including support currently delivered through Filming in England. Filming in England, part of Creative UK, is currently funded by BFI National Lottery funds to provide advocacy and assistance to emerging hubs such as Shropshire. DCMS ministers and officials meet regularly with Creative UK to discuss a wide range of issues, including support for the film and TV sector across England.

Our scaled-up production support will provide nationally coordinated assistance to film and television productions, regional film offices and local authorities, ensuring areas like Shropshire have the resources to grow their production capacity.

Accessibility is a key priority for the Secretary of State, and we are committed to ensuring access for everyone, no matter their background or where they come from.

Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) has a range of programmes designed to drive accessibility of the collection. One of their notable schemes is the £1 ticket programme, which allows individuals receiving certain benefits, such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit, to purchase up to six tickets for £1 each per household. Last year, this initiative sold 218,000 tickets. HRP markets its schemes in several ways. Information is available on its website, at ticket offices on site, and through direct communication with community groups, charities, and organisations that support those in receipt of benefits.

DCMS officials meet regularly with HRP to discuss its engagement strategy and other operational matters. As an independent charity, HRP can implement its own marketing plans.

The Secretary of State has delegated management of historic unoccupied royal palaces to Historic Royal Palaces (HRP). DCMS officials meet regularly with HRP to discuss its engagement strategy and other operational matters. However, as an independent charity and in accordance with the 1998 Royal Charter, HRP can generate its own income and set its own ticket prices.

HRP currently offers a range of discounted tickets such as;

• Disabled concession and carer tickets - HRP offers discounted tickets for visitors with a disability and a free ticket for an accompanying carer or companion.

• Student and senior discounts - HRP offers concession tickets for full time students (aged 18+) and seniors ages (65+).

• Young person and child tickets - HRP has a tiered pricing structure for younger visitors.

• Group discounts - HRP offers discounts for pre-booked groups of 15 or more people.

• Discounts for local residents - HRP offers residents of Tower Hamlets borough tickets for £1

• Discount for benefit recipients - HRP offers £1 tickets to its Palaces H for those in receipt of Universal Credit and other named benefits

There are currently no licensed gambling operators in Great Britain which allow payment using cryptocurrencies. If an operator wished to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment, they would have to satisfy themselves and the Gambling Commission, the regulator for gambling in Great Britain, that they could meet their obligations regarding anti-money laundering before they notify the Gambling Commission of a change to their payment arrangements or obtain a licence. Should a licenced operator accept cryptocurrency payments they would be subject to social responsibility arrangements, like any other operator, these include having robust identity checks, providing tools for customers to set financial limits, and conducting financial risk checks for the most vulnerable customers.