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Written Question
Surveillance
Thursday 9th March 2023

Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment her Department has made of the findings in the recent report published by Big Brother Watch titled Ministry of Truth: The Secretive Government Units Spying On Your Speech.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon. member to the answers given to PQs 148800, 148801, 148802 on 28 February 2023.

The Rapid Response Unit was used to understand the spread of information and potential disinformation, and help inform how the Government communicates effectively with the public.

Online disinformation is a serious threat to the UK, which is why we brought together expertise from across government to monitor disinformation, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. These units used publicly available data, including material shared on social media platforms, to assess UK disinformation trends and narratives. They have since been disbanded and the learning and expertise is now being replicated across the wider Government Communications Service.


Written Question
Rapid Response Unit: Finance
Tuesday 28th February 2023

Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding has been provided to the Rapid Response Unit in each year since that unit's formation.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Rapid Response Unit (RRU) was created in 2018 to strengthen the Government’s ability to deal with the challenge of identifying disinformation being spread online. It ran throughout the pandemic, but has since been disbanded. The RRU monitored news and information being shared and engaged with online, using only public and openly available information to do so. In analysing social media trends to identify key narratives and themes, in some instances it collected published material on organisations or individuals with a public profile.

Where the RRU identified instances of misinformation which were gaining traction it would highlight that information within Government to the relevant department to take action if they felt it was required.

The RRU was a small team with less than 10 members of staff and an annual staffing budget up to £450,000.


Written Question
Rapid Response Unit
Tuesday 28th February 2023

Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Rapid Response Unit was formed; and for what purpose.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Rapid Response Unit (RRU) was created in 2018 to strengthen the Government’s ability to deal with the challenge of identifying disinformation being spread online. It ran throughout the pandemic, but has since been disbanded. The RRU monitored news and information being shared and engaged with online, using only public and openly available information to do so. In analysing social media trends to identify key narratives and themes, in some instances it collected published material on organisations or individuals with a public profile.

Where the RRU identified instances of misinformation which were gaining traction it would highlight that information within Government to the relevant department to take action if they felt it was required.

The RRU was a small team with less than 10 members of staff and an annual staffing budget up to £450,000.


Written Question
Rapid Response Unit
Tuesday 28th February 2023

Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Rapid Response Unit has collected information on (a) sitting Members, (b) former Members, (c) political activists and (d) political organisations since the Unit's formation.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Rapid Response Unit (RRU) was created in 2018 to strengthen the Government’s ability to deal with the challenge of identifying disinformation being spread online. It ran throughout the pandemic, but has since been disbanded. The RRU monitored news and information being shared and engaged with online, using only public and openly available information to do so. In analysing social media trends to identify key narratives and themes, in some instances it collected published material on organisations or individuals with a public profile.

Where the RRU identified instances of misinformation which were gaining traction it would highlight that information within Government to the relevant department to take action if they felt it was required.

The RRU was a small team with less than 10 members of staff and an annual staffing budget up to £450,000.


Written Question
Secretaries of State: Public Appointments
Tuesday 31st January 2023

Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister received advice on prospective Cabinet members' financial and tax affairs when considering Cabinet appointments.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 25 January 2023, Official Report, Columns 1001 – 1012.


Written Question
Census: Greater London
Monday 18th July 2022

Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Census 2021 results published by the Office for National Statistics on 28 June 2022, what adjustments the Government will make to population estimates for 2021 and 2022 to reflect the changes in London’s population since that census was undertaken.

Answered by Heather Wheeler

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Question of 13 July is attached.


Written Question
Succession: Males
Wednesday 20th October 2021

Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to end male primogeniture.

Answered by Michael Ellis

Reform of the succession to the hereditary peerage raises a variety of complex issues and therefore any changes need careful consideration and wider engagement.


Written Question
Weddings: Coronavirus
Friday 11th June 2021

Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will allow up to 60 people to attend weddings after the 21 June 2021.

Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

We recognise that any restrictions on weddings may be disappointing for those planning such events. We do not wish to keep restrictions in place for any longer than we have to.

At Step 4, which will take place no earlier than 21 June, the Government aims to remove all restrictions on weddings, civil partnership ceremonies and receptions.

The decision on whether to proceed to Step 4 will be taken a week in advance of 21 June in order to take into account the latest data. Guidance will then be updated as soon as possible.


Written Question
Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to grant British citizens living abroad lifelong entitlement to vote.

Answered by Chloe Smith

The Government is committed to scrapping the arbitrary rule that prevents British citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years from participating in UK parliamentary elections.

The Government is considering the appropriate legislative vehicle to deliver votes for life, which is a manifesto commitment, and we will make an announcement on our intentions in due course.


Written Question
Construction: Finance
Tuesday 10th November 2020

Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a requirement for all publicly-funded building projects first to investigate retrofitting of existing buildings.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has already put in place a number of measures that require decision-makers in the public sector to consider refurbishment and retro-fitting improvements to existing buildings, rather than commissioning new-build solutions automatically.