Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
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 - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
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.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
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 - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
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.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
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 - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
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.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
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.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
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.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
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.