Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what guidance her Department issues on the use of WhatsApp.

All departments in central government, including arms lengths bodies apply the published guidance: Using non-corporate communication channels (e.g. WhatsApp, private email, SMS) for government business). This was published by the Cabinet Office in March 2023.

It applies to all individuals in central government (ministers, special advisers, officials, contractors, non-executive board members and independent experts advising ministers). The Department for Business and Trade uses the central guidance and has applied it since March 2023.