Mark Pritchard
Conservative - The Wrekin
883 (1.8%) majority - 2024 General ElectionFirst elected: 5th May 2005
Select Committees
Panel of Chairs (since July 2024)5 APPG Officer Positions (as of 18 Jun 2025)
Egypt, Georgia, India, Libya, Turkey8 APPG Memberships
Beer, Belarus, Tennis, Autism, Diabetes, Financial Education for Young People, Modern Conflict, Uyghurs75 Former APPG Officer Positions
Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Aviation, Bermuda, Betting and Gaming, Bingo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, British Museum, Bulgaria, Cancer, Caribbean, Chile, Death Penalty, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia and Djibouti, Explosive Weapons, Film and Production Industry, Football Club, France, Gardening and Horticulture, General Aviation, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hong Kong, Hungary Group, Indonesia, International Relations, Italy, Jazz Appreciation, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Kosovo, Latin America, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Maldives, Malta, Media, Mexico, Moldova, Music, Nepal, North Korea, Nursery Schools and Nursery Classes, Offshore Oil and Gas, Opera, Peru, Pharmaceutical Industry, Philippines, Pro-Life, Refugees, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, South East Asian Nations, Space, Sudan and South Sudan, Tennis, Tibet, Tidy Britain, Tourism, Leisure and the Hospitality Industry, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uyghurs, Venezuela, Vietnam, Visas and Immigration, Weapons and the Protection of Civilians, World Governance, YemenDivision Voting information
Mark Pritchard voted No - against a party majority - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 1 Conservative No votes vs 93 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 103 Noes - 416
Debates during the 2024 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(16 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(20 debate contributions)
(12 debate contributions)
(11 debate contributions)
(10 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(307 words contributed)
(117 words contributed)
(73 words contributed)
The Wrekin Petitions
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
of 19,019 signatures (0.83%)
of 61,815 signatures (0.23%)
of 178,678 signatures (0.21%)
of 422,138 signatures (0.19%)
of 252,670 signatures (0.19%)
of 422,138 signatures (0.19%)
of 252,670 signatures (0.19%)
of 178,678 signatures (0.21%)
of 182,385 signatures (0.19%)
of 143,770 signatures (0.18%)
Latest EDMs signed by Mark Pritchard
CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION IN TELFORD
Tabled by: Lucy Allan (Independent - Telford)That this House expresses concern about the scale of child sexual exploitation in Telford; notes that, in 2015-16, Telford had the highest number of child sexual offences recorded, per head of population, in each of the 317 community safety partnerships in England and Wales; recognises the horrific abuse and suffering …
(Most recent: 29 Mar 2018)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 18
Conservative: 16
Liberal Democrat: 2
Scottish National Party: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Green Party: 1
Independent: 1
COMMUNITY PHARMACIES
Tabled by: Alan Meale (Labour - Mansfield)That this House is concerned about the planned £170 million cut to the Community Pharmacy Budget in England scheduled for October 2016, which could lead to the forced closure of up to 3,000 pharmacies and place the remaining pharmacies, GPs and A&E departments under ever greater pressure; believes the Government …
(Most recent: 9 May 2016)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 11
Independent: 3
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 2
Conservative: 1
Green Party: 1
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Liberal Democrat: 1
Commons initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Mark Pritchard, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Mark Pritchard has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Mark Pritchard has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Mark Pritchard has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
2 Bills co-sponsored by Mark Pritchard
Wild Animals in Circuses Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Trudy Harrison (Con)
Events and Festivals (Control of Flares, Fireworks and Smoke Bombs Etc) Bill 2015-16
Sponsor - Nigel Adams (Con)
Latest 50 Written Questions
(View all written questions)5 Other Department Questions
In a paper for the February 2025 sitting of the General Synod of the Church of England, the Liturgical Commission wrote:
“The Nicene Creed is one of the most significant, universally recognized and definitively authoritative statements of Christian faith, originating from the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and later expanded at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. It encapsulates the trinitarian shape of Christian believing, provides a comprehensive summary of the faith of the Church, and has been a central part of Christian worship for centuries”.
In its paper the Commission reminded the Church of England of the historic position of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed in its worship, commended its frequent recitation in worship, and remarked on its helpfulness as a didactic aid. The paper can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2025-01/gs-misc-1408-the-use-of-the-nicene-creed.pdf
The Church of England has produced resources to mark the 1700th anniversary. The publication 'We Believe: Exploring the Nicene Creed', is a series of 24 reflections on the words of the Nicene Creed, which will also be available on the Church of England’s daily devotional app, Everyday Faith, from the day after Trinity Sunday. Each reflection explores a portion of the Creed through the lens of a short Bible passage and a simple reflection, accompanied by a treasury of prayers. These reflections will form a centrepiece of the Church of England’s contribution to this year’s celebrations, as well as providing a lasting resource for Christian education and formation.
More information is available here: https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/books/9781781405154/we-believe-single-copy
The Ecclesiastical Law Society is hosting a conference in Chichester in June on ‘Nicaea Received: 1700 Years of Canons, Councils and Ecumenism’, which will be attended by the Archbishop of York and will feature speakers that include His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
As part of its regular series of events and lectures, Westminster Abbey is hosting a symposium in November on the Council of Nicaea and its influence.
The security of Parliament and its Members is a priority for the Commission, and it expects everyone in the parliamentary community, including Members, Members’ staff and House Administration staff, to support this aim and manage sensitive information appropriately. As the Commission and parliamentary authorities have repeatedly made clear, unauthorised disclosure of confidential security advice can pose a direct risk to the security of those we are trying to protect.
The House of Commons Commission has not discussed sanctions on Members who share security advice. However, unauthorised disclosures may also amount to a breach of the Code of Conduct for Members, in which case it would be for the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards or the Committee on Standards to consider penalties on a case-by-case basis.
House Administration staff who make an unauthorised disclosure would be subject to disciplinary action as set out in the House of Commons staff handbook.
Staff employed by Members are not the direct responsibility of the Commission, as they are employed by their Member. However, the Commission would call upon the Member to set standards for conduct and behaviour, and to determine disciplinary action where appropriate. Unauthorised disclosure of confidential information by their staff could be considered gross misconduct.
Beyond formal sanctions, the Parliamentary Authorities engage extensively with Members, their staff and House Administration staff to ensure they understand the crucial role they have to play in the security of the parliamentary community, including information security.
We recognise that strong role models can be key in inspiring others, and in challenging harmful stereotypes.
My officials work closely with male business leaders and campaigners to help make the case that steps to improve equality benefit everyone. They also support work going on across government aimed at tackling gendered stereotypes.
In addition to this work, the Department of Health and Social Care is developing a Men's Health Strategy to address the leading health issues that affect men. The strategy will be part of the government's 10 Year Health Plan.
The Church Commissioners provide funding to pay for the dean and two canons as part of cathedral staff and have a Cathedral Sustainability Fund to which all cathedrals can apply. The role and funding of cathedral choirs is a matter for the dean and chapter of each cathedral, however during the pandemic the Church Commissioners made £1million available, match funded by the Cathedral Music Trust, to retain the skills of musicians throughout. As many will have experienced during the special events like the Coronation and over Christmas, cathedral music and the choral tradition in our churches is a unique part of the English cultural life.
A conference was held at Leicester Cathedral on November 14th 2024 organised by the Association of English Cathedrals and Cathedral Music Trust, which discussed many of the issues facing music in our cathedrals and explored ways forward. The Bishop of St Albans and the Bishop of Southwark have also raised the impact on cathedral choir schools of recent NI and VAT policy announcements, with Ministers in the House of Lords.
In Lichfield Diocese, the cathedral supports many good initiatives, and the choir is thriving. More information can be found about their activities here: https://www.lichfield-cathedral.org/worship-music/music-share
The House of Commons Administration is aware of the risks, and carefully considers hardware procurements, and any security implications of using Chinese manufactured IT hardware on the parliamentary estate. We work with government departments to ensure that we work in line with the latest advice and guidance. The procurement of much of Parliament’s IT hardware (i.e. laptops, printers, tablets and accessories) is managed by a UK-based company called XMA.
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.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
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.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
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.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
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.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
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.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Most office-based civil servants are expected to spend 60% of their working time in the office, setting a consistent balance across the Civil Service. Departments, as individual employers, are responsible for any other measures.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
I apologise to the Rt. Hon. Member for the delayed response to his question of 6 December.
The Online Safety Act, brought forward by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, introduced the false communications offence. This offence captures communications where the individual knows the information to be false and sends it intending to cause harm, without reasonable excuse.
Further legislative proposals on online media usage would fall within the remit of the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
It is a long-standing convention that the Government notifies the House of Commons of significant military action, either before or after the event, and where appropriate, makes time for a debate on that action. In the event that the House of Commons is unable to meet or conduct its business, the Government is committed to restoring the functioning of democratic institutions at the earliest opportunity. Even in emergency scenarios it is vital that Government decisions are scrutinised appropriately.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) 2004 and the associated Regulations deliver a single framework for civil protection in the UK. The legislation is deliberately broad ranging and sets out the requirements to consider all emergencies that threaten serious damage to human welfare in the UK; the environment of a place in the UK; or war, or terrorism, which threatens serious damage to the security of the UK.
The Government keeps this legislation under review. 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. It did set out recommendations to strengthen the system and its planning which are being considered as part of the Resilience Review.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
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.
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
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.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
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.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Local authority trading standards services oversee numerous pieces of legislation, including consumer protection, product safety, weights and measures, food standards, animal health and welfare, environmental protection, estates and lettings, and age-restricted products such as alcohol and tobacco, among other legislative responsibilities.
The Department of Business and Trade is responsible for the consumer protection function. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 updated and strengthened civil enforcement powers for public designated enforcers, including the ability for trading standards services to apply to the court for an enforcement order with a monetary penalty of up to 10% of turnover.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government produces estimates of the levels of employee and self-employed jobs by industry sector on a quarterly basis (Mar, Jun, September and Dec). Data on the number of jobs by industry sector in December 2024 will be published on 20th March 2025.
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
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.
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
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.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly in arrears.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero looks forward to meeting the new US Energy Secretary to discuss our shared values and interests across a full range of energy issues.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Through the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements, we are exploring several ways to reduce energy bills by making more efficient use of the energy infrastructure we are building. As part of this we are considering zonal pricing, alongside options for further reform within our current national pricing arrangements. Government is considering these options carefully and will provide more information in due course.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10 Department for Science, Innovation & Technology Questions
(View all Mark Pritchard's DSIT questions)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.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
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.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
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.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
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.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
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.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Under the Online Safety Act, publishers of pornography online and user-to-user services that allow sharing of pornographic content have a duty to use highly effective age assurance to prevent children from accessing this.
The Act requires Ofcom to produce and publish a report on in-scope services’ use of age assurance solutions, within eighteen months of these duties coming into force.
Ofcom has set out in its guidance on enforcement. This guidance includes the information Ofcom will generally publish when opening an investigation, including the identity of the subject and scope of the investigation.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act gives platforms duties to tackle illegal content. The regulator, Ofcom, has outlined steps providers can take to fulfil these duties in codes of practice, including recommending steps for stopping illegal foreign interference and terrorism content being promoted via algorithms. These duties should be in effect by spring 2025.
The Act will also require all services to have clear, accessible Terms of Service (ToS) and will require Category 1 services to state what legal content for adults is not accepted. Companies must have effective reporting mechanisms, enabling users to raise concerns about enforcement of ToS, if they feel companies are not fulfilling their duties.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government acknowledges rapid evolutions in the global satellite communications sector. Monopoly rarely serves the public interest and a competitive market is important to ensuring public and private sector value. We are keen to secure UK leadership in commercial satellite communications, which is why the UK has:
- delivered the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit programme to develop the next generation of UK satellite communications technologies;
- led the European Space Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems programme;
- supported a series of satellite broadband trials with a range of suppliers; and
- acquired a stake in UK based low Earth orbit satellite operator OneWeb, which supports over 400 highly productive UK jobs.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Online Safety Act 2023 places duties on user to user services to proactively mitigate the risk that their services are used for illegal activity or to share illegal content. This includes content that incites violence and content which stirs up religious or racial hatred. The Act is currently being implemented. Ofcom will have a broad range of powers to assess and enforce compliance with the Act, including issuing fines to services that do not comply of up to £18m or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue in the relevant year, whichever is higher.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
12 Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Questions
(View all Mark Pritchard's DCMS questions)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.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department regularly engages with Ofcom on a range of issues including the importance of a competitive and diverse broadcasting sector.
Ofcom has a statutory duty under the Communication Act 2003 to secure and maintain a sufficient plurality of providers of different TV and radio services. Ofcom also has a duty to review the operation of media ownership rules across TV, radio and press every three years. Ofcom published their latest review on 15 November 2024.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As a public service broadcaster that matters hugely to public life, the BBC must be responsive to viewers and listeners and tell inclusive stories about the lives of all people, in all parts of the UK. Under the current Charter, the BBC has an obligation to ‘reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom’s nations and regions’. The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the Government in determining how it meets that obligation, and it is for the independent regulator Ofcom to hold the BBC to account.
As part of the next Charter Review, the Government will engage with the BBC and others to consider how to ensure the BBC thrives well into the next decade and beyond. This will include discussions on a range of important issues and will start a national conversation to make sure the BBC truly represents and delivers for every person in this country
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the important positive contribution made by our creative industries, including our public service broadcasters, in informing, educating, and entertaining audiences. However, editorial decisions are ultimately a matter for individual production companies.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Advertising Standards Authority co-regulates broadcast advertising under contract with Ofcom and its sister organisation, the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP), sets the advertising codes. The codes require that advertisements must not portray or represent anyone who is, or seems to be, under 18 in a sexual way and care must be taken when scheduling advertisements in or around children's programmes or programmes likely to be seen by significant numbers of children.
The Broadcast Advertising Code has a dedicated section on protecting children, with rules designed to ensure that adverts do not contain anything that is likely to cause children physical, mental or moral harm, and the ASA administers these rules robustly. All broadcast advertising is pre-approved to ensure it is compliant with the BCAP Code before it is aired, through a system known as Clearcast. Clearcast has well established processes to ensure advertising content is thoroughly checked before it appears on television and puts restrictions in place when necessary.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Violence has no place in football. As private businesses, football clubs have a right to ban individual supporters from attending matches or accessing club facilities; a power rooted in their responsibility to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for all fans. These bans are a decision to be taken at club-level.
Convictions may also result in football banning orders (FBOs) which are a court decision to prevent violence or disorder at, or in connection with, regulated football matches. An individual with a banning order is prevented from attending all regulated matches in the UK and can be required to surrender their passport to police before overseas matches and tournaments.
FBOs can be imposed following a conviction for a football-related offence as set out in Schedule 1 of the Football Spectators Act 1989 (which includes offences involving the use or threat of violence), or on application from the police or CPS.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code includes rules intended to protect the welfare and the dignity of people under eighteen who take part or are otherwise involved in programmes. Revisions to the Code are a matter for Ofcom as the independent regulator.
The Advertising Standards Authority co-regulates broadcast advertising under contract with Ofcom and its sister organisation, the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, sets the advertising codes. The codes require that advertisements must not portray or represent children in a sexual way and care must be taken when scheduling advertisements in or around children's programmes or programmes likely to be seen by significant numbers of children.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The classification system has addressed these issues under successive governments, but decisions regarding the classification of films are made by the BBFC and the Games Rating Authority, not the BBFC, is responsible for the classification of video games. The BBFC’s decisions are made independently of the government, which is important to ensure impartiality. The BBFC’s age ratings serve to protect the public and empower people to make informed viewing choices, whilst also recognising and respecting adult freedom of choice within the law.
The standards underpinning the BBFC’s ratings are set out in their published Classification Guidelines, and are based on consultations every 4-5 years with experts and thousands of members of the public.
If the BBFC finds that a film raises issues or concerns that cannot be addressed through their classification system, they may require compulsory cuts or other changes as a condition of classification.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Since August 2022, Lichfield Cathedral has received £161,242 through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, and Hereford Cathedral has received £27,639.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has also supported both of these Cathedrals. Lichfield Cathedral has received £1,707,762 since 1996.Hereford Cathedral has received £6,135,300 since 2003.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Departmental settlements have been set by The Treasury following the Budget announcement on October 30. Individual programmes will now be assessed during the departmental Business Planning process.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to doing more to ensure that everyone from all backgrounds have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.
The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in sport and to boost diversity at a grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all.
Sport England provides long term investment to the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis in Britain, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years to invest in community tennis initiatives that will benefit everyone.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
All pupils and staff should feel safe and protected at school, and nobody should face violence or abuse. The department will always support our hard working teachers to ensure they can work in safe and calm classrooms. All school employers have a duty to take reasonable steps to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees.
Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the 2024 ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance. The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.
From July this year, the child safety duties under the Online Safety Act will be in force, requiring online services to protect children from content that is harmful to them, including violent and abusive content. The government recognises concerns about the impact of social media on children, which is why the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology commissioned a feasibility study, led by the University of Cambridge, to investigate methods and data to understand the links between children’s smartphone use, social media and their wellbeing.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has published its Equalities Impact Assessment for all measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, setting out impacts across protected characteristics including religion or belief. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments.
Minister of State (Education)