Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that all departments, including the Cabinet Office, comply with guidelines about the frequency of departmental board meetings set out in the guidance Corporate governance in central government departments: code of good practice, published in April 2017.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Each department, including the Cabinet Office, is required to publish their compliance with the Corporate governance code for central government departments 2017, on a comply or explain basis, within their annual report and accounts.
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings the departmental board of the Home Office has had since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 24/25 includes information on how many times the Departmental Board met during that financial year. Information on the number of meetings held in the 25/26 financial year will be published in next year’s Annual Report and Accounts. Home Office Board met twice in the time mentioned.
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings the departmental board of the Ministry of Defence has had since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Since 4 July 2024, the Defence Board has met six times under the Chairmanship of the Secretary of State for Defence, the Rt Hon John Healey MP.
The Secretary of State has given the Defence Board a clear mandate to debate and monitor progress against the Department's highest priorities, which include People, implementation of the Strategic Defence Review, Defence Reform, and the Defence budget and Investment Plan.
The Defence Board is expected to meet at least four times annually in line with the corporate governance code of good practice.
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings the departmental board of the Cabinet Office has had since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Cabinet Office Board has met twice since 4 July 2024.
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings the departmental board of the Department of Education has had since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department has had eight meetings since 4 July 2024, which will rise to nine by the end of this calendar year (2025).
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings the departmental board of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has had since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Details of the attendees, and number of meetings, for all top-level boards and committees at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) are published on an annual basis in the FCDO annual report and accounts. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Management Board, chaired by the Permanent Under-Secretary, has met 6 times since 4 July 2024.
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Georgia regarding free speech, the rule of law and its obligations as a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights in its policing of protest.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We remain severely concerned by democratic backsliding in Georgia, including restrictions on free speech and policing of protests. The Minister of State for Europe and North America raised these issues directly with Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Botchorishvili on 16 October and with Georgian Dream 1st Deputy Foreign Minister Zurabashvili on 21 October, and the UK is also supporting efforts in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and Council of Europe to press Georgia to adhere to democratic norms.
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings the departmental board of the Department of Health and Social Care has had since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has held two departmental board meetings since 4 July 2024. Further details on departmental board meetings are published in the Department's published annual report and accounts.
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ratify the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation; and by when they expect it will be ratified.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises the important role that mediation can play in resolving commercial disputes and promoting access to justice, alongside other dispute resolution methods such as litigation and arbitration.
The UK signed the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (known as the Singapore Convention) in May 2023. The Government is currently consulting stakeholders in the UK legal and mediation sectors, and other experts, on how the Convention could be implemented in domestic law. We are committed to ratifying the Convention once all the necessary domestic implementing measures are in place.
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 28 July (HL9433), how many of the 871 small boats (1) were seized during or after Channel crossings, and (2) were seized prior to being used in crossings or attempted crossings of the Channel.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Of the 871 small boat seizures referenced in the relevant Written Answer, all were seized during or after Channel crossings.
Border Force do not hold data on the number of seizures prior to use in Channel crossings.