In July 2016, Whately was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the International Trade Minister Greg Hands.[1] In October, she was selected as the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Mental Health and of the APPG for Fruit and Vegetable Farmers.[26][27][28] In February 2017, she voted to support the government's motion for the invoking of Article 50 to formally start the process of the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Whately, a "Remain" supporter, explained her decision as honouring the result of the referendum.[29][30]