Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2021 to Question 171714 on Kingspan Group, whether the Government plans to exclude Kingspan plc from eligibility for departmental and government contracts.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government is deeply concerned about the information that has come to light through the Grenfell Public Inquiry.
Kingspan are not direct suppliers on Crown Commercial Service’s frameworks. We expect the company to review aspects of the way it operates, to ensure that the public can be confident in construction products and corresponding marketing, particularly where public safety is paramount.
The grounds for the exclusion of bidders from public procurement procedures are set out in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. These rules set out the circumstances in which bidders must, or may, be excluded from a public procurement process.
Decisions need to be based around firm evidence and individual contracting authorities are responsible for their own decisions on these matters.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Elected Office Fund will be reopened.
Answered by Chloe Smith
It is the Government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office.
The EnAble Fund for Elected Office opened in December 2018 and closed in March 2020. The Government has been clear that the responsibility for supporting disabled candidates sits with political parties.
An evaluation of the EnAble Fund is due to be published shortly.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what financial support is available to Royal British Legion social clubs during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
The Government has provided service charities with financial support during the Covid-19 pandemic, to ensure the support being delivered by these crucial organisations can continue. In addition to the normal lines of funding offered to the service charity sector, the Government has made available £6million through the Covid-19 Impact Fund. This has been distributed to 100 charities, including the Royal British Legion. RBL social clubs may also apply for grants from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the readiness and capacity of local authorities to perform their duties relating to the 2019 European Parliament elections.
Answered by Kevin Foster
It remains the Government’s intention to leave the EU with a deal and not participate in European Parliamentary elections.
Returning Officers, who are statutorily independent, work with their local authority to ensure the necessary support and resource are made available to them to deliver elections, including through following guidance issued by the Electoral Commission.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the UK participating in elections to the European Parliament in 2019.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Government has made it clear that the UK intends to leave the EU with a deal and not take part in the European Parliamentary Elections (EPE) in May if possible, however, all the necessary preparations will be made for the election to take place on 23 May.
As is normal practice, the Cabinet Office is currently in process of finalising cost estimates and these will be published in the relevant Charges Order in due course.