Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Secondary Care during the debate on Underperforming NHS Trusts: Government Oversight of 14 October 2026, column 184WH, if she will publish (a) the proposed size of the new neighbourhood health centre in Maldon, (b) the services that will be available there, (c) the budget to be allocated and (d) the timeline for its construction.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and NHS England are engaging with the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust on their clinical strategy, including its proposals for a potential neighbourhood health centre in Maldon. The Department has received neighbourhood health centre proposals from integrated care boards and regions and is considering the overall future pipeline. Nationally, no final decisions have been made yet on which further schemes will proceed and within which time period. Further announcements will be made in due course.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his proposed timetable is for publishing the summary of responses to the call for evidence on park home sales commission.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home.
The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here.
On 5 March 2026, my Department published a 12-week call for evidence regarding the rationale for the payment of a commission. It can be found on gov.uk here.
We are currently analysing the feedback received and remain committed to publishing a detailed summary of responses ahead of announcing the government's final position by the end of the year.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether the Government will allow the General Trade Licence for the maritime transportation of Russian liquefied natural gas to expire on 1 January 2027 without extension or replacement; and if he will commit to not introducing further licences or exemptions permitting UK firms to provide insurance, financial or other maritime services connected with Russian LNG after that date.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The General Trade Licence remains under continual review and is set to expire on 1 January 2027. The licence authorises the maritime transportation of, and ancillary services in connection to, Russian LNG under short-term supply contracts. From 1 January, the trade in Russian LNG will be further restricted as the maritime services ban extends to cover long-term supply contracts.
The Government is maintaining pressure on Russia's gas sector by strengthening sanctions. On 1 October, we sanctioned 8 LNG vessels and Russian gas company Novatek Gas and Power Asia.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to prohibit UK firms from providing insurance and other financial services to the Clean Planet, Clean Ocean and Clean Vision before the wider ban on maritime services connected with Russian LNG takes effect; and if he will ensure that there is no delay to and further exemptions from that ban.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
The Government continues to use sanctions to constrain Russia's ability to fund its illegal war in Ukraine, having sanctioned more than 3,400 individuals, entities and ships under the UK's Russia sanctions regime.
The Government keeps all sanctions measures under continual review to ensure they are implemented effectively and support our wider objective of increasing pressure on Russia. We remain committed to reducing Russian energy revenues, the single most important source of financing for Russia's war in Ukraine, including through targeting the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sector. It is our long-standing policy not to comment on potential future sanctions designations, specifications or enforcement decisions, as doing so would risk lessening their impact.
We would point you to the Exploratory Memorandum issued in May: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/543/pdfs/uksiem_20260543_en_001.pdf
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will list grants made by his Department to the Press Recognition Panel since 2014; and what the purpose was of those grants.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In 2014, the Ministry of Justice awarded a sum of £3 million to the Press Recognition Panel (PRP). This payment was made on the basis of the Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the press, which states that the Lord Chancellor (acting on behalf of The Exchequer) will fund the PRP until it becomes effective. This initial funding was exhausted in the 2022-23 financial year. Since then, an annual payment of £430,000 has been made to the PRP, in line with its right to request further reasonable sums in the event that its income is considered to be insufficient, so it is not frustrated by a lack of funding. This was also set out in the Royal Charter. The last of these payments were made in the 2026-27 financial year. As the Ministry of Justice acts on behalf of HM Treasury as a funding conduit, plans for future funding do not fall under the remit of the Department although the Ministry of Justice will continue to fund the PRP if they make further funding requests.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to provide future funding to the Press Recognition Panel.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In 2014, the Ministry of Justice awarded a sum of £3 million to the Press Recognition Panel (PRP). This payment was made on the basis of the Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the press, which states that the Lord Chancellor (acting on behalf of The Exchequer) will fund the PRP until it becomes effective. This initial funding was exhausted in the 2022-23 financial year. Since then, an annual payment of £430,000 has been made to the PRP, in line with its right to request further reasonable sums in the event that its income is considered to be insufficient, so it is not frustrated by a lack of funding. This was also set out in the Royal Charter. The last of these payments were made in the 2026-27 financial year. As the Ministry of Justice acts on behalf of HM Treasury as a funding conduit, plans for future funding do not fall under the remit of the Department although the Ministry of Justice will continue to fund the PRP if they make further funding requests.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the reporting thresholds for excluded sellers in the Platform Operators (Due Diligence and Reporting Requirements) Regulations 2023 on individuals selling low-value personal items through online marketplaces; what representations he has received from industry on those thresholds; and he Government plans to (a) raise the monetary threshold and (b) remove the 30-transaction threshold in those Regulations.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The thresholds for excluded sellers in the Platform Operators (Due Diligence and Reporting Requirements) Regulations 2023 are designed to exclude casual sellers from reporting requirements while ensuring HMRC receives information necessary to support tax compliance.
HMRC engages regularly with affected stakeholders regarding operation of the regime. The exclusion thresholds are based on rules internationally agreed at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The rules are subject to regular review, and the UK will remain engaged in international discussions to ensure consistency with international partners and minimise burdens on platform operators.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to promote UK soft power.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Soft power is fundamental to the UK's impact and reputation around the world. It builds relationships, promotes our values, and helps support our growth, prosperity and security.
The Government is determined to make maximum use of all our soft power assets towards these ends, and in particular, our continued support for the British Council and BBC World Service will enable them to maintain their outstanding work across the globe over the current spending review period.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the provisions enabling AI Sandboxes in the Regulating for Growth Bill will include protections for UK Intellectual Property to ensure that it cannot be suspended to allow experimentation in relation to technologies such as AI.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The AI Growth Lab, enabled through the Regulating for Growth Bill, will support the safe testing of AI-enabled products and services by allowing, in limited and controlled circumstances, temporary modifications to certain regulatory requirements that may inhibit innovation or growth. The Government has been clear that it is not intended that these powers will apply to intellectual property. Existing UK intellectual property protections will remain fully in place and will not be suspended for the purposes of the AI Growth Lab.
Asked by: John Whittingdale (Conservative - Maldon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing funding for covered tennis and padel facilities in Maldon constituency.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That has to mean delivering a range of facilities across the country based on what each local community needs.
On 16 March, the Prime Minister confirmed £10 million investment in 2026/27 to develop new delivery models, including at least £2.5 million to the Lawn Tennis Association for covered courts for tennis, padel and other activities.
We provide the majority of our support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding into grassroots sport across England, including providing support for the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). The LTA is receiving up to £14.5 million for seven years from 2022 to 2029 to invest in community tennis initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.
We are now working closely with the sport sector stakeholders and local leaders to develop plans for future funding for a range of sports across the country based on communities’ needs. We will keep stakeholders and the wider sport sector updated as this work progresses, and we will announce plans once they have been fully developed.