Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his 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’ published by 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 Ministry of Justice uses the central guidance and has applied it since March 2023.

The Ministry of Justice also provides additional advice to supplement the central guidance, in a Social Media Policy and Guidance.