To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Schools: Leeds West
Wednesday 8th February 2023

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Leeds West constituency had at least one construction element in (a) condition grade C and (b) condition grade D when that data was collated; and which of those schools (a) have already received funding from the School Rebuilding Programme and (b) are expected to receive funding from the School Rebuilding Programme in the next two years.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Condition Data Collection (CDC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK’s public sector. It collected data on the building condition of government funded schools in England. It provides a robust evidence base to enable the Department to target capital funding for maintaining and rebuilding school buildings.

The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.

Individual CDC reports have been shared with every school and their responsible body to use alongside their existing condition surveys to plan maintenance schedules and investment plans. The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. The Department is still preparing the data and will publish it as soon as possible.

Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Our funding is directed both to maintaining the condition of the school estate and rebuilding schools. The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year.

The ten year School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is condition led. 400 of the 500 available places on the programme have been provisionally allocated. A list of these schools and the methodology used to select them is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.

The following table shows the constituencies specified that have schools or colleges selected for the SRP:

Parliamentary constituency

Schools selected for SRP

Wakefield

Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College, announced December 2022

Stockton North

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, announced July 2021 St Paul's Catholic Primary School, announced July 2021

The 239 schools announced in December 2022 will enter delivery at a rate of approximately 50 per year, over a five year period from 2023. The Department is currently undertaking due diligence on these schools prior to scheduling them, with schools prioritised according to the condition of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. The scope and funding for each project will be confirmed following detailed feasibility studies and condition surveys of buildings.

Where a school identifies significant safety issues with a building, that cannot be managed within local resources, the Department considers additional support on a case-by-case basis. This includes applications for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) from eligible institutions. Schools eligible for Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) can apply for UCS where there are urgent health and safety issues that threaten school closure and cannot wait until the next CIF bidding round.


Written Question
Taxpayer Protection Taskforce: Staff
Wednesday 7th December 2022

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people worked for the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce in each month between April 2021 and December 2022.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

At Spring Budget 2021 the Government announced a £100 million investment into the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce of 1,250 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff up to March 2023. The taskforce was established to extend HMRC’s work to address fraud and error in the COVID support schemes that they administered (Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and Eat Out to Help Out). The table below shows the month-by-month breakdown of resources deployed in the taskforce from April 2021 to end of October 2022. HMRC are unable to provide more recent data as this is still being assured.

Table 1: Monthly breakdown of FTE staff deployed to taskforce:

Period

Apr 2021

May 2021

Jun 2021

Jul 2021

Aug 2021

Sep 2021

Oct 2021

Nov 2021

Dec 2021

Jan 2022

Feb 2022

Mar 2022

Total FTE

908

1,018

1,216

1,291

1,228

1,256

1,180

1,184

1,145

1,101

1,096

1,142

Period

Apr 2022

May 2022

Jun 2022

Jul 2022

Aug 2022

Sep 2022

Oct 2022

Total FTE

1,180

1,155

1,246

1,203

1,230

1,232

1,187


Written Question
Treasury: Security
Thursday 3rd November 2022

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has been made aware of any security breaches in his Department relating to Ministers in his Department during his time in post.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

It is a long-established practice of the Treasury not to comment either on whether a security breach has been identified, or any subsequent outcome.


Written Question
Treasury: Mobile Phones
Thursday 3rd November 2022

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what procedures are in place to prevent the use of personal mobile phones for government business in his Department.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

There is a place for the use of a variety of digital channels in fast moving modern environments. Ministers will have informal conversations from time to time, in person or remotely, and relevant content from such discussions is passed back to officials. They will also use a variety of digital communications channels for personal, political and Parliamentary matters.


Written Question
Treasury: ICT
Thursday 3rd November 2022

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will provide details of any government business he has conducted from his own personal devices or accounts.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Cabinet Office has published guidance to departments on the use of private email that covers how information is held for the purposes of access to information, and how formal decisions are recorded for the official record. This guidance is being updated to reflect changes in technology and ways of working and will be published by the Cabinet Office in due course.

It is Government policy not to comment on individual Ministers’ security arrangements. Ministers receive support and expert advice to help them meet their obligations in the most appropriate and secure fashion. That includes regular security briefings for Ministers, and advice on protecting their personal data and mitigating cyber threats.


Written Question
Ministers: Pay
Monday 5th September 2022

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total cost of Ministerial salaries to the Exchequer was in (a) July 2021, (b) August 2021, (c) September 2021, (d) October 2021, (e) November 2021, (f) December 2021, (g) January 2022, (h) February 2022, (i) March 2022, (j) April 2022, (k) May 2022, (l) June 2022 and (m) July 2022.

Answered by Heather Wheeler

Limits on the number of salaries that can be paid and at what level are imposed by the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975. Government departments are responsible for paying ministerial salaries and publish relevant information in their annual reports and accounts, which can be found on gov.uk. Salary information for 2021-22 will be included in departments’ 2021-22 annual reports and accounts currently being published.

The Government also publishes information about the salary entitlements and salaries claimed at different ministerial ranks. This information can be found at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1027301/Salaries_of_Members_of_Her_Majestys_Government_-_Financial_Year_2021-22_-_Publication.pdf


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate
Monday 5th September 2022

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of how much will be provided in cost of living energy support for third and second homes.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government estimates around 545,000 second homes in Great Britain, which make up around 2% of the UK’s housing stock. If all of these homes were eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme grant, this could contribute a maximum estimate of £218million towards the cost of the scheme.

The Government is prioritising issuing the money to 29 million households by winter 2022. Accurately identifying second homeowners would delay the delivery of the scheme. Additionally, some second homes will be held in circumstances where the recipient may need cost of living support, such as providing a home for an elderly or disabled relative.


Written Question
Cost of Living Payments: Energy
Monday 5th September 2022

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the impact of the raising of the projected energy price cap on the efficacy of the cost of living payments.

Answered by Simon Clarke

In May 2022, we announced over £15 billion of additional cost of living support, targeted at those with the greatest need. This package builds on over £22 billion previously announced, meaning government support for the cost of living now totals over £37 billion this year, equivalent to 1.5% of GDP. As a result, millions of vulnerable households will receive at least £1,200 of support this financial year, with the vast majority of households receiving at least £550.

We have always been clear that the government cannot seek to offset the entire impact of the increased cost of living for all groups. The government is committed to managing the public finances in a responsible way by targeting support where it is most needed, and we continue to monitor a range of factors, including the Ofgem price cap.

The government is monitoring a range of pressures on households, including the cost of energy, and as we move into winter we will continue to listen to people’s concerns and will seek to help households through challenging times ahead.


Written Question
Economic Situation: Weather
Monday 5th September 2022

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the economic cost of the red weather heat alert of 18 and 19 July 2022.

Answered by Richard Fuller

We do not hold data on the specific cost of the red weather heat alert 18 – 19th July 2022. The ONS monthly estimate of GDP for July will become available on the 12th of September 2022.

Information about the risks to different economic sectors from heatwaves more generally can be found in the UK’s Third Climate Change Risk Assessment which is based on the Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk, the statutory advice provided by the Climate Change Committee, commissioned by the UK Government and devolved administrations.

The support the government has provided over the past two years has put the UK economy in a good position to deal with current challenges, with a record number of employees on payrolls and a strong economic recovery from the pandemic. Annual growth in 2021 was the fastest in the G7 and the latest GDP figures for June showed the UK economy was 0.9% above its pre-pandemic levels.


Written Question
Economic Growth
Wednesday 20th July 2022

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the OECD's United Kingdom Economic Snapshot published in June 2022, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies over the next twelve months of the zero per cent growth forecast for GDP in 2023.

Answered by Richard Fuller

Annual growth in 2021 was the fastest in the G7, and GDP data for Q1 2022 showed the UK had the joint fastest growth in the G7.

The Office for Budget Responsibility are the government’s official forecaster, and they will update their forecasts for UK GDP in the Autumn.

Like other advanced economies, the UK is affected by global economic challenges, including the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine. Support provided over the past two years has put the UK economy in a good position to deal with these challenges, with a record number of employees on payrolls and a strong economic recovery from the pandemic.

The government has also taken significant action to support households with the cost of living, totalling around £37bn this year.