Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, when he last held a bilateral call with President Biden on the situation in Ukraine.
Answered by Boris Johnson
I held a virtual meeting on Monday 24 January with President Biden and the leaders of Italy, Poland, France, Germany, the European Council, the European Commission and NATO to discuss the situation in Ukraine. Further details can be found on the gov.uk website.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has plans to bring forward proposals on retained EU law in spring 2022.
Answered by Michael Ellis
As set out in the Paymaster General’s Written Ministerial Statement of 9 December 2021, officials in the Cabinet Office are continuing to undertake two reviews into retained EU law, one into the substance of retained EU law and one into its status in law.
Any proposals for change will be finalised at the conclusion of the reviews. The Queen’s speech will set out the Government’s legislative programme in the normal way.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether her Department holds responsibility for the review of retained EU law following the resignation of Lord Frost.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Brexit Opportunities Unit in the Cabinet Office is leading reviews of Retained EU law (REUL). The aim of these two reviews, into the substance and status of REUL, is to ensure that REUL - as established by the EU Withdrawal Act 2018 - does not stagnate on the UK statute book.
An announcement will be made in due course to confirm which Minister will lead these reviews, following the resignation of my Rt Hon Friend Lord Frost.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the cost of installing air filtration systems in Number 10 and Number 11 Downing Street since March 2020.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Cabinet Office, which includes the buildings in Downing Street, follows the appropriate Working Safely During Coronavirus guidance. This includes consideration of ventilation as part of any risk assessment. The HSE also provides guidance on this issue.
Air filtration units are one option (not a requirement) that may be used as a mitigation where it is not possible to improve poorly ventilated areas.
In that light, the Cabinet Office has not deemed it necessary, at this time, to install such systems. We will keep this matter under review.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many air filtration systems have been installed in Number 10 and Number 11 Downing Street since March 2020; which rooms those systems have been installed in; and when they were installed.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Cabinet Office, which includes the buildings in Downing Street, follows the appropriate Working Safely During Coronavirus guidance. This includes consideration of ventilation as part of any risk assessment. The HSE also provides guidance on this issue.
Air filtration units are one option (not a requirement) that may be used as a mitigation where it is not possible to improve poorly ventilated areas.
In that light, the Cabinet Office has not deemed it necessary, at this time, to install such systems. We will keep this matter under review.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many bedrooms are available for use at Chequers as at 23 September 2021.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Chequers is not a government building; it is run and managed by an independent trust.
As has been the practice under successive Premiers, the Prime Minister uses Chequers consistent with the wishes of the donor, the late Sir Arthur Lee, who gave it to the nation for the use of the Prime Minister. Chequers is available to Ministers for both official and private use.
Sir Arthur Lee’s wishes are set out in the Chequers Estate Acts 1917: “It is not possible to foresee or foretell from what classes or conditions of life the future wielders of power in this country will be drawn. Some may be as in the past men of wealth and famous descent; some may belong to the world of trade and business; others may spring from the ranks of the manual toilers. To none of these in the midst of their strenuous and responsible labours could the spirit and anodyne of Chequers do anything but good. In the city-bred man especially, the periodic contact with the most typical rural life would create and preserve a just sense of proportion between the claims of town and country. To the revolutionary statesman the antiquity and calm tenacity of Chequers and its annals might suggest some saving virtues in the continuity of English history and exercise a check upon too hasty upheavals, whilst even the most reactionary could scarcely be insensible to the spirit of human freedom which permeates the countryside of Hampden, Burke and Milton. Apart from these more subtle influences, the better the health of our rulers the more sanely will they rule and the inducement to spend two days a week in the high and pure air of the Chiltern hills and woods will, it is hoped, benefit the nation as well as its chosen leaders."