Every parliamentary written question tabled by Alex Burghart this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 181–200 of 482 · this parliament
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 111183 on Prime Minister: Correspondence, what her timetable is for responding to the formal (a) stage 2 complain
The Hon Member's letter of 15 August 2025 was addressed to the Prime Minister and passed to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) as the responsible department.The then FCDO Permanent Under-Secretary (PUS), Sir Oliver Robbins, had previo...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Lord Mandelson received and was given Developed Vetting with STRAP clearance.
I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 20 April and his answers to the questions raised in response.
Whether Lord Mandelson's Developed Vetting application was approved by National Security Vetting.
I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.
In what circumstances (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants can override a United Kingdom Security Vetting recommendation not to appoint an individual to a civil servant appointment.
United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) provides a range of independent vetting services designed to identify potential personnel security risks. However, the employing department ultimately owns the risk of any appointment decision. Senior officials with responsibility for personnel security within their department evaluate vetting outcomes alongside the specific requirements of a post and the organisation's risk appetite.
If he will publish in the full the initial view or opinion that the Cabinet Office Propriety and Ethics Team gave to the Hon Member for Makerfield on the Ministerial Code, before the matter was referred to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, on which the Whatsapp message by the Hon Member was informed.
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation
Whether (a) the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards and (b) Cabinet Office Propriety and Ethics Team made an assessment of any involvement by Lord Mandelson in the commissioning, distribution of subsequent review of the APCO/Labour Together dossier on journalists.
The work undertaken by the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards is set out in his advice to the Prime Minister of 27th February 2026 and published on gov.uk. Information on the work undertaken by the Cabinet Office can be found in the Government’s response to the Urgent Question granted on 23 February (Official Report, Column 29).
Pursuant to the answer of 22 December 2025, to Question 99535, on List of Ministerial Responsibilities, what is the reason the updated list of Ministerial Responsibilities following the September 2025 reshuffle has not been published.
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026, to Question 119974, on Bank Notes: Design, if she will make it her policy to have discussions with the Court of the Bank of England to lobby for the retention of historic British figures from the new series of British banknotes.
As set out in the Memorandum of Understanding between HM Treasury and the Bank of England, the Bank of England is entirely responsible for the design, production, issue and distribution of banknotes. There are no current plans to change these responsibilities. The Bank of England will launch another consultation in summer 2026 to seek the views of the public on images for the next series of banknotes. Further detail can be found on the Bank of England’s website. The final decision about what imagery will appear on the next series of banknotes will be made by the Governor of the Bank of England.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to page 261 of the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts 2024–2025, HC 1198, whether her Department considered declaring grants to Inter Mediate in 2024-25 as a related party transaction.
No change has been made to the approach to such grants since they were first made under the previous government of which the Hon Member was part.
Pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 113590 on Erasmus+ Programme: Finance, what the planned timetable is for the negotiation of the next Multiannual Financial Framework.
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation
When the Kickstarting Economic Growth Mission Board has met since November 2025.
The Growth Mission Board was replaced by the Growth and Living Standards Committee in November 2025. It is co-chaired by the Chancellor and the Prime Minister. It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its committees - including mission boards - including their attendance, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.
Whether the hon. Member for Makerfield had responsibilities in relation to the Government response to the Humble Address whilst he was a Minister.
None
Pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 122146 on Lord Mandelson, whether the steps taken to retain material include (a) accessing tape backups or (b) turning off the auto-delete policy on Number 10 computers.
I refer you to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12th February, the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, and the Oral Statement on the 23rd February, in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, which set out an update on the Government's process and that Departments have been instructed to retain material that may be relevant to the motion.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Explanatory Memorandum for European Union legislation within the scope of the UK/EU Withdrawal Agreement and Windsor Framework, COM(2023)201, June 2023, whether (a) Great British and (b) Northern Irish producers will be required to rename domestically-produced (i) jam and (ii) marmalade for sale in (A) Great Britain and (B) Northern Ireland as a consequence of the UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement; and whether other types of food will be affected by revised EU food labelling requirements.
As part of the UK-EU SPS Agreement currently being negotiated, the Government is making a sovereign choice in the national interest to align in some areas where it makes sense to do so. Once in force, the SPS agreement will mean less red tape and fewer costs for agrifood businesses trading with the EU.As set out in the Government’s recently published announcement on legislation in scope, this is expected to include among other rules on fruit jams, jellies & marmalades ((Directive 2001/113/EC). The full list remains subject to ongoing negotiations and may therefore change.The EU recently updated its rules on jams, jellies and marmalade, which will entail some changes to labelling of marmalade – requiring producers to label as ‘citrus marmalade’ or specify the type of citrus fruits used, which most UK producers already do.Jam producers will need to comply with EU rules on labelling of jams, extra jams and reduced sugar jams and ensure their labelling reflects compositional requirements, which will entail change for some producers.Under Windsor Framework commitments, Northern Ireland has already laid amending rules to implement the recent EU changes. These were laid on 20 January 2026 and will come into operation on the 14 June 2026.
Whether the Cabinet Secretary plans to issue a new edition of the Cabinet Manual in 2026-27.
It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation
With reference to the letter from the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards to the Prime Minister of 27 February 2026 relating to the conduct of the Hon Member for Makerfield, whether any substantive letters or representations were received by the Cabinet Office or the Independent Adviser secretariat but not read by the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation
With reference to the Cabinet Secretary's objectives 2026-27, published on 7 April 2026, what is the timetable for refreshing the Civil Service Code; in what manner will the code be refreshed; and whether political parties will be consulted.
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Ministers in her Department were (a) consulted on and (b) approved the exit payment to Lord Mandelson.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer he received on 18 March in response to Question 120384.
Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 118525 on Ministers: Maternity Leave, whether Ministers providing temporary cover under the provisions of the Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Act 2021 are entitled to a severance payment when they leave office.
Ministers providing temporary leave cover, whilst a minister takes maternity leave under the provisions of the Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Act 2021, are asked to waive their entitlement to a severance payment.
What the responsibilities are of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister; and whether they have changed since the departure of the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister.
The Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister's responsibilities are available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/people/darren-jones