Written Statements

Monday 23rd November 2020 Written Statements

Monday 23 November 2020

Hong Kong: Six-monthly Report

Monday 23rd November 2020 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and First Secretary of State (Dominic Raab)]

The latest six-monthly report on the implementation of the Sino-British joint declaration on Hong Kong was published today, and is attached. It covers the period from 1 January to 30 June 2020. The report has been placed in the Library of the House. A copy is also available on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office website (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office). I commend the report to the House.

[HCWS591]

Dental Patient Charge Uplift 2020-21

Monday 23rd November 2020 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Jo Churchill)]

The National Health Service (Dental Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (“the Amendment Regulations”) will be laid before Parliament to increase National Health Service dental patient charges in England from 14 December 2020.

This is the fifth and final year of the spending review 2015 commitment to annually uplift dental patient charges by 5% for the duration of the spending review period.

Following a six-month freeze, the dental charge payable for a band 1 course of treatment will rise by £1.10, from £22.70 to £23.80. A band 2 course of treatment will increase by £3.10 from £62.10 to £65.20, and a band 3 course of treatment will increase by £13.50 from £269.30 to £282.80.

Details of the revised charges for 2020-21 can be found in the table below:

Ministerial Code: Home Secretary’s Conduct

Monday 23rd November 2020 Written Statements

[The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson)]

I would like to update the House on the outcome of an investigation under the ministerial code.

In reaching my decision I took advice from the independent adviser, Sir Alex Allan, in relation to the allegations made earlier this year around the Home Secretary’s conduct. I take this issue very seriously and recognise that it is always difficult for individuals to come forward and raise concerns. I am grateful to those who have done so. I am also grateful to Sir Alex for his advice and considered his conclusions carefully.

It was clear from Sir Alex’s advice that at times there have been difficult working relationships all round. Sir Alex’s advice found that the Home Secretary had become —justifiably in many instances—frustrated by the Home Office leadership’s lack of responsiveness and the lack of support she felt in DfID three years ago. He also found, however, that the Home Secretary had not always treated her civil servants with the consideration and respect that would be expected, and her approach on occasion has amounted to behaviour that can be described as bullying in terms of the impact felt by individuals.

He went on to advise, therefore, that the Home Secretary had not consistently met the high standards expected of her under the ministerial code.

I have noted Sir Alex’s advice that many of the concerns now raised were not raised at the time and that the Home Secretary was unaware of the impact that she had. I am reassured that the Home Secretary is sorry for inadvertently upsetting those with whom she was working. I am also reassured that relationships, practices and culture in the Home Office are much improved. As the arbiter of the code, having considered Sir Alex’s advice and weighing up all the factors, my judgement is that the ministerial code was not breached.

Together with the Cabinet Secretary, I have this morning written to all Ministers and permanent secretaries. This letter sets out the paramount importance of relationships of mutual trust and respect between politicians and their officials. This includes keeping internal conversations private, feeling able to speak freely and honestly about matters of state and to speak constructively about things that are not working so that we can fix them together promptly. I am clear that there is a particular duty on Ministers and permanent secretaries to create jointly across government a culture which is professional, respectful, focused and ambitious for change and in which there is no place for bullying.

The Cabinet Secretary and I are enormously grateful to civil servants for the commitment they have shown as we navigate through these challenging times. We are also immensely proud of the fantastic work that is going on across government, and know that this work would not have been possible without strong relationships between Ministers and their officials.

I have full confidence in the Home Secretary and consider this matter now closed.

I am placing a copy of Sir Alex Allan’s findings in the Library of the House. A copy of the letter to Cabinet Ministers and heads of Department will be made available on gov.uk.

[HCWS592]