Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the press release entitled Prime Minister to attend UK-EU summit in Brussels on 20 November, published on 12 October 2026, whether he plans for the cost to the public purse of annual payment into the EU Cohesion Fund payments to be discussed at the summit.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK is not currently contributing to EU Cohesion Funds. Whilst discussions have begun on the EU’s proposal to establish a mechanism for a UK financial contribution towards reducing economic and social disparities between the regions of the Union as part of participation in the Internal Electricity Market, any UK financial contribution would be subject to negotiations with the EU, and no contributions have yet been made or agreed upon.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of introducing the new socio-economic duty on public bodies.
Answered by Bridget Phillipson - Minister for Women and Equalities
My team is working with public bodies to understand the potential impact of introducing the socio-economic duty. While the duty has not yet been commenced in England, it is in force in Scotland and Wales.
In addition, a number of public authorities in England have voluntarily adopted the duty, either in full or in part. We know that those bodies that have implemented the duty say that it has enhanced their efforts to address socio-economic disadvantage. We are learning from this experience as we take action to commence the duty in England.
We are taking forward work to make sure that commencement of the duty in England is as effective as possible, driving efforts across the country to break down barriers to opportunity and making sure there is no class ceiling on people’s ambitions.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many more new community diagnostic centres will be delivered in (a) England and (b) Yorkshire by 2029.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In April 2026, the Government announced 36 new, expanded and enhanced community diagnostic centre (CDC) schemes. Trusts and integrated care boards are now submitting plans for further new CDCs to open between 2027 and 2029. The exact number and location of these will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to the answer of 8 July 2026 to Question 14349 on Civil Service: Temporary Employment, if she will list each of the internship schemes that have been made available in the last 12 months through the department, other than the Fast Stream Summer Internship Programme.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Over the last 12 months, the department has hosted interns on the following internship schemes:
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list each industrial dispute live within her Department, including the nature of the dispute and level of industrial action.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
PCS - in relation to pay, working time, restructures, and hybrid working.
FDA and Prospect – in relation to pay only.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to the answer of 3 June 2026, to Question 3339, on Special Advisers: Public Appointments, how many delivery advisers have been appointed to date, broken down by (a) special advisers, (b) Direct Ministerial Appointments, (c) civil servants appointed by exception, and (d) permanent civil servants appointed through open competition.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A list of special advisers is published each year in the Annual Report on Special Advisers.
No delivery advisers have been appointed by Direct Ministerial Appointment.
Data on civil servants appointed by exception and permanent civil servants appointed through open competition is not held.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many departmental Senior Civil Service away days have taken place in calendar year 2026 to date; in what specific venues; at what cost; and if there was any associated social or team-building activity at public expense.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
One event has taken place in the department in calendar year 2026 to date and this was for all Senior Civil Servants working in Defra. This took place in March 2026 at The Cumberland Hotel and the total cost was £20,598.32, including facilitation. There was no social or team-building activity at public expense associated with this event.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the outturn spending was by (1) her Department and (2) the Office of the Prime Minister on communications, marketing and advertising in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Information is released in regular transparency returns by the Department. This information is available in the quarterly transparency spend published by the Cabinet Office at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/cabinet-office-spend-data#spend-data-over-%C2%A325,000.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Government departments and agencies will be based at and have access to the Government Hub in York.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
GPA is actively working with a number of departments in terms of future occupancy in York. However as has been the case under successive Governments we are unable to release a list of occupants of Government office buildings in order to safeguard national security. Occupier locations are generally available via each department's website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what was the outturn spending by the department on communications, marketing and advertising in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
| 24–25 | 25–26 |
Total | £1,759,440 | £1,179,377 |