Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what scientific evidence his Department is using to base its decision to restrict marriage ceremonies to only couples with exceptional circumstances under the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
On 4 January, the Prime Minister announced a National Lockdown for all of England, in accordance with growing evidence of virus prevalence. Under these new restrictions, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies should only take place in exceptional circumstances. Up to six people can attend (including the couple). Anyone working is not included in that limit.
We recognise the restrictions may be disappointing for those planning such events. By their nature, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are events that bring families and friends together, including from across the country and sometimes across the world, making them particularly vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19. We do not wish to keep restrictions in place for any longer than we have to, and restrictions will be kept under review in line with the changing situation. For further information, please refer to the guidance for small weddings and civil partnerships https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships. There is different advice for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The government continues to regularly make available scientific evidence supporting its COVID-19 response, including at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/scientific-evidence-supporting-the-government-response-to-coronavirus-covid-19.
On 22 February, the Prime Minister will set out the plan for reopening schools, and gradually reopening the economy and society, in a sustainable way in England.
For further information, please refer to the Coronavirus (COVID‑19) page on gov.uk, which will publish further information regarding the roadmap on 22 February, https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by No 10 Downing Street are apprentices.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As has been the case under successive administrations, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Government in Parliament are an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
As of 31 January 2021, apprentices make up 2.13% of the department’s workforce.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Answer of 3 November 2020 to Question 108274 on Cabinet Office: Audit and with reference to the joint ventures listed on page 26 of the Cabinet Office 2019-20 annual report, if he could set out (a) who audits the accounts and (b) whether the accounts are laid before Parliament of (i) Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), (ii) Axelos, (iii) Shared Services Connected Limited (SSCL), (iv) Integrated Debt Services (Indesser) and (v) Crown Hosting Data Centres.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Auditors are named in each company’s annual accounts, copies of which are available from the Companies House website.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Answer of 2 November 2020 to Question 107705 on Government Departments: Email, what cross-government controls exist to ensure that Ministers' and Special Advisors' emails or other communication records are retained in accordance with record keeping policy.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I refer the hon. Member to the Guidance on the Management of Private Office Papers and the Guidance to departments on use of private emails.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what review he has made of (a) his Department’s and (c) cross-Government audit arrangements for Government contracts in the last 12 months; and what changes he has made to those arrangements to ensure (i) their adequacy and (ii) manage risk in relation to the extraordinary procurements undertaken during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As has been the case under successive administrations, departments are responsible for their commercial decisions, including the award and monitoring of contracts. Departmental Accounting Officers are responsible for managing risk and agreeing annual audit plans. The Cabinet Office has internal and external audits related to its contractual arrangements. Further audits are planned this financial year.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the financial effect on widowed people of the civil service pension rules on remarriage and cohabitation.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government Actuary’s Department completed the quadrennial actuarial valuation as at 31 March 2016 and showed that the average annual pension for surviving adult dependants in the Civil Service pension arrangements was around £2,100 for male dependants and around £4,700 for female dependants. The pensions of widows, widowers and surviving civil partner pensions, under the Classic section of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme, cease if they remarry or cohabit. An average of around 120 pensions cease on remarriage or cohabitation per year for the period 2008 to 2019.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many companies or entities his Department (a) controls or (b) has significant influence over whose accounts are not audited by the National Audit Office.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
All Cabinet Office arms length bodies are audited by the National Audit Office.
Details of Cabinet Office Joint Ventures are published in the annual report.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued cross-government on how long emails should be retained by Departments for (a) civil servants, (b) special advisors and (c) Ministers.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Departments are responsible for their own record keeping. Record management requirements do not differ between civil servants (including special advisers) and Ministers. The Cabinet Office has not issued cross-government guidance on how long emails should be retained.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what controls his Department requires from Government departments to identify and disclose the award of Government contracts to entities owned or controlled by Government ministers and senior civil servants from their own or other departments.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Ministers and Civil Servants are bound respectively by the requirements of the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and the Civil Service Management Code, which include provisions for the management of potential conflicts of interest.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what controls his Department requires from Government departments to identify and disclose the award of Government contracts to entities owned or controlled by major political party donors.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Ministers and Civil Servants are bound respectively by the requirements of the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and the Civil Service Management Code, which include provisions for the management of potential conflicts of interest.