Rt Hon Sir John Whittingdale OBE MP

Member of Parliament for Maldon

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme

John Whittingdale Conservative, Maldon To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding her Department plans to provide for the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme in the 2025-26 financial year. Chris Bryant The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) Departmental settlements […]

Following the fall of Assad in Syria, Sir John Whittingdale asks the Foreign Secretary to seize his assets in the UK

David Lammy Foreign Secretary, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement on Syria. Over less than a fortnight there has been an extraordinary change. What began as an opposition offensive in north-western Syria quickly became a headlong retreat by pro-Assad forces and, over the weekend, the fall of his murderous regime. […]

Assisted Dying (Post-Vote)

Following the debate on the Assisted Dying Bill, I wanted to thank you for letting me know your views and to explain why, after much very careful thought, I decided to vote against the Bill.  In the last few weeks, I have received an enormous number of messages from my constituents, expressing strong opinions both […]

Sir John Whittingdale MP visits Straight Edge Manufacturing in Burnham

Sir John Whittingdale, MP for Maldon, visits Straight Edge Manufacturing Ltd in Burnham Business Park. Straight-Edge Manufacturing Ltd is one of the last UK manufacturers of Professional Musical Equipment, making hand built guitar amplifiers and speaker cabinets along with PA systems for a number of well-known brands. They employ around 30 people but are faced […]

Planning Reform

A number of constituents have contacted me about the forthcoming planning reforms and the need to ensure they deliver for both people and wildlife. As someone with a passion for nature, I fully recognise the importance of tackling the nature crisis while also supporting the vital need for new infrastructure, housing, and clean energy. I […]

Sir John Whittingdale speaks in debate on Detained British Nationals Abroad

John Whittingdale Conservative, Maldon I congratulate my right hon. Friend Sir Iain Duncan Smith on securing the debate, and on the tremendous amount of work that he has done in this area. It is also a pleasure to follow Emily Thornberry, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, which I have been delighted to join as a new member in […]

Sir John Whittingdale put question to Foreign Office Minister on Russian election interference in Georgia

Stephen Gethins Scottish National Party, Arbroath and Broughty Ferry (Urgent question): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the parliamentary elections in Georgia. Catherine West Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. […]

Sir John Whittingdale puts question to Defence Minister on the Chagos Islands

James Cartlidge Shadow Secretary of State for Defence (Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the impact of the Government’s Chagos negotiations on the UK-US defence relationship. Luke Pollard The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing this urgent […]

Third Party Data Gathering Measure

A number of constituents have contacted me about the third-party data-gathering measure. Fraud is a growing problem across the economy, accounting for over 40 per cent of all crime, and the welfare system is not immune to this. Although down by 10 per cent in 2022-23, £8.3 billion was still overpaid due to fraud and error […]