Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the joint letter to him from Scottish and Welsh Ministers in relation to Infected Blood Compensation and Interim Payments, dated 22 January 2024, when he plans to make interim compensation payments to bereaved parents and children.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
In October 2022, we made interim payments of £100,000 to chronic infected beneficiaries and bereaved partners registered with existing support schemes. I recognise the importance the infected blood community places on interim payments relating to those deaths not yet recognised, and the Government is working through the technical implications of recommendation 12.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing international students from immigration statistics.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 24th May is attached.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many communications staff in total are employed (a) full time, (b) part time and (c) with flexible working arrangements in the Government.
Answered by Nigel Adams
This information for the whole of government is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Government spends on the employment of communications staff annually.
Answered by Nigel Adams
This information for the whole of government is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what emergency childcare provision is available to staff working in 10 Downing Street.
Answered by Chloe Smith
10 Downing Street is an integral part of the Cabinet Office. All Civil Servants that work at the Cabinet Office are able to access parental support policies, such as Parental Leave and Flexible Working.
With due consideration to COVID-19, Civil Servants are able to manage childcare arrangements with the support of paid special leave and flexible working, where alternative provisions cannot be found.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Written Statement of 20 December 2019, Official Report HCWS15, to which specific programmes and for which specific purposes he plans to allocate that cash advance from the Contingencies Fund.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The cash advance of £107.134 million will be noted in the Supplementary Estimate 2019-20. The Supplementary Estimate will be published in February 2020 and will detail each element of funding and its purpose.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many 18-25 year-olds are on zero-hours contracts.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Government holds any contracts for services with Cambridge Analytica.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive
Those published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.
I am not aware of any current contracts with Cambridge Analytica, or with the SCL group.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contracts for services the Government has with SCL Group.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive
Those published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.
I am not aware of any current contracts with Cambridge Analytica, or with the SCL group.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, by what means Departments select hold music for Government telephone services.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Individual departments are responsible for putting in place arrangements for telephony services and helplines. There is not specific central guidance in place for hold facilities on Government phone services.