Non-domestic Energy Support
Sir John Whittingdale While I agree with my hon. Friend that support cannot continue indefinitely, I welcome his recognition that high energy users will continue to require special help. Will that support cover agricultural businesses that are high energy users such as Dengie Crops in my constituency, which uses gas to dry crops to produce […]
Migration and Economic Development
Sir John Whittingdale (Maldon) (Con) Two months ago, I visited the Hope hostel in Kigali. Not only was the accommodation of a high standard, but the Rwandans I spoke to expressed hope that those coming would, in due course, obtain jobs and move out to their own homes, thus allowing more refugees to come and […]
BBC Local Radio
Sir John Whittingdale(Maldon) (Con) I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Sir Mike Penning) on obtaining this debate. It is also a pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell). I do not often agree with what he says but, apart from a couple of sentences, […]
Government Information Campaigns: Local Media
Sir John Whittingdale (Maldon) (Con) My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the power of local media in getting vital health messages across, but will he look at ensuring that, as well as local print media, local online-only publishers such as Nub News are included in future campaigns? Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet OfficeAlex Burghart I completely […]
Newport Wafer Fab
Sir John Whittingdale (Maldon) (Con) I welcome the measures that the Government have already taken in the National Security and Investment Act to protect critical national infrastructure companies from overseas control, but does the Secretary of State agree that it is important we do not just shut the stable door, and that where we become […]
BBC World Service
Sir John Whittingdale(Maldon) (Con) What funding his Department provides to the BBC World Service? The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Rutley The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is providing the BBC World Service with a flat cash three-year settlement of £94.4 million annually. Since 2016, the FCDO has provided over […]
Avian Influenza
Sir John Whittingdale(Maldon) (Con) I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement. However, the compensation arrangements he outlined will do very little to help small producers such as KellyBronze in my constituency, which lost 9,800 turkeys from a flock of 10,000 in the space of a weekend, before the vet even arrived. Will he […]
BBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in Provision
Sir John Whittingdale(Maldon) (Con) I urge my hon. Friend to ask the BBC to think again. Will she remind it that stations such as BBC Essex are greatly valued by listeners and provide a service that is unavailable commercially? Online news is already well supplied by the local media, which is under considerable pressure even […]
Intellectual Property Rights
Sir John Whittingdale(Maldon) (Con) My hon. Friend will be aware of the critical importance of intellectual property protection to all the creative industries. Will he therefore reaffirm the commitment of his predecessor to look again at the proposal of the Intellectual Property Office to expand the exception for text and data mining, which would severely […]
Ukraine Update
Sir John Whittingdale(Maldon) (Con) Given the extraordinary success of the Ukrainian armed forces in pushing back Russian troops, does my right hon. Friend agree that there is a danger that Putin may consider escalating the conflict? While attention has focused on the potential use of battlefield nuclear weapons, does he agree that any use of […]