Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring Government Departments to (a) provide similar information and (b) undertake a sample collection of data over a given period in the event that a Department does not hold the information requested by hon. Members in Parliamentary Questions.
Answered by David Lidington
Where departments do not hold the information requested, they are advised to state the reason in their response.
Departments will consider any additional questions about similar information or the collection of new information, bearing in mind the availability of that information and/or the proportionality and cost of collecting it.
There are no plans to change the way Departments respond to Parliamentary Questions.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that all loans under UK law given to governments or with government guarantees are disclosed publicly at the time they are made and comply with the law of the country concerned.
Answered by David Lidington
Given the complex international nature of sovereign debt, we continue to believe that internationally-agreed approaches are the most effective way to improve sovereign debt transparency and sustainability. Sovereign governments are ultimately responsible for their own borrowing, and the UK supports the IMF and World Bank’s efforts to improve the capacity and capabilities of sovereign borrowers to fulfil this responsibility. The UK also recognizes that official and private creditors have an important role to play in securing debt transparency and sustainability. The G20 agreed Operational Guidelines for Sustainable Financing for official creditors in 2017. The UK is now working through the G20 to monitor an industry-led initiative by the Institute of International Finance (IIF) to improve the transparency of lending of private creditors.
UK-based lenders are also already subject to extensive prudential disclosure requirements under UK law. The Capital Requirements Regulation requires firms to disclose the geographic distribution of their credit exposures, including those to central banks and governments, if the loans are material.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he expects the Honours Forfeiture Committee will respond to the letter from the rt hon. Member for Birkenhead of 14 February 2019 on Sir Philip Green's knighthood.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Forfeiture Committee has now had sight of the letter dated 14th February. We will not make any comment or statement in relation to the details of individual cases.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what official Government posts Baroness Brady holds.
Answered by Oliver Dowden
Baroness Brady does not hold any offical government posts.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2019 to Question 211108, whether Interserve FM ltd are contractually required to pay their employees the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
Answered by Oliver Dowden
Interserve FM ltd are not contractually required to pay their employees a Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which service providers are contracted to carry out third party cleaning contracts for his (a) Department and (b) executive agencies; if he will list all of the services delivered by third party contractors to his (i) Department and (ii) executive agencies; and how many people working for those third party contractors are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
Answered by Oliver Dowden
The Cabinet Office contracts its third party cleaning to Interserve FM ltd
Under a Total Facilities Management Contract (TFM) the service provider Interserve FM ltd are required to deliver Hard (mechanical & electrical, building fabric) and Soft (cleaning, catering, security, postroom, pest control) services to the Cabinet Office.
Interserve FM ltd are contractually required to pay their employees a Living Wage. The Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation suggests a higher minimum wage - 89 people employed by Interserve FM ltd on this contract are paid less than this.