Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent progress his Department has made on introducing a deed of undertaking to make the requirements of the Business Appointment Rules enforceable for Ministers.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government expects all former Ministers to abide by their obligations with regard to the Business Appointment Rules, as set out in the Ministerial Code. The work to develop a ministerial deed is ongoing and an update will be made in due course.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will hold discussions with Boris Johnson on the requirements upon him under the business appointment rules to make applications to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, in the context of his role with Merlyn Advisors.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government expects all former Ministers to abide by their obligations with regard to the Business Appointment Rules, as set out in the Ministerial Code. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments writes to the Government if they consider there to have been a breach of the Rules.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, when his Department was first informed of Boris Johnson's meeting with Venezuelan government officials; and whether enquiries were made on the nature of this visit.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Boris Johnson was visiting entirely in a personal capacity and not acting on behalf of the UK Government. His trip was not funded by the UK Government. As part of his visit, Mr Johnson paid a courtesy call on the British Residence in Caracas. The UK does not accept the legitimacy of the administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro following the 2018 presidential election.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department provided a briefing to Boris Johnson in advance of his meeting with the Venezuelan President.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Boris Johnson was visiting entirely in a personal capacity and not acting on behalf of the UK Government. His trip was not funded by the UK Government. As part of his visit, Mr Johnson paid a courtesy call on the British Residence in Caracas. The UK does not accept the legitimacy of the administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro following the 2018 presidential election.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the amount of money lost to fraud and error by her Department in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Fraud and error losses in the Department for each of the last three financial years are shown in the table:
Period | Detected fraud (£m) | Detected error (£m) |
2020/21 | £3.01 | £1.51 |
2021/22 | £10.43 | £77.35 |
2022/23 | £46.07 | £1.59 |
Notes:
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total cost to the public purse was of legal (a) support and (b) representation to Ministers in her Department in relation to their official conduct in each of the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information is not held centrally or collated in the format requested. More generally, I would refer the hon. Member to the long-standing policies on legal expenditure, as set out recently by Cabinet Office Ministers on 12 March 2024, Official Report, Question 17709 and 12 March 2024, Official Report, House of Lords, Cols. 1901-1904.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total cost to the public purse was of legal (a) support and (b) representation to Ministers in his Department in relation to their official conduct in each of the last three years.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Such information is not centrally recorded or collated in the form requested. More generally, I would refer the honourable Member to the long-standing policies on legal expenditure, as set out recently by Cabinet Office Ministers on 12 March 2024, Official Report, PQ 17709 Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament and 12 March 2024, Official Report, House of Lords, Cols. 1901-1904. Ministers: Legal Costs - Hansard - UK Parliament.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what the total cost to the public purse was of legal (a) support and (b) representation to Ministers in his Department in relation to their official conduct in each of the last three years.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Such information is not centrally recorded or collated in the form requested. More generally, I would refer the hon. Member to the long-standing policies on legal expenditure, as set out recently by Cabinet Office Ministers on 12 March 2024, Official Report, PQ 17709 and 12 March 2024, Official Report, House of Lords, Cols. 1901-1904.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total cost to the public purse was of legal (a) support and (b) representation to Ministers in his Department in relation to their official conduct in each of the last three years.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Such information is not centrally recorded or collated in the form requested.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total cost to the public purse was of legal (a) support and (b) representation to Ministers in his Department in relation to their official conduct in each of the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Such information is not centrally recorded or collated in the format requested. More generally, I would refer the hon. Member to the long-standing policies on legal expenditure, as set out recently by Cabinet Office Ministers on 12 March 2004, Official Report,17709 and 12 March 2024, Official Report, House of Lords, column 1901-1904.