Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister of the Cabinet Office, for what reason the Government is limiting the number of energy rebate applications that councils can submit to the verification tool per day.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
The Government has not placed any restrictions or limits to the number of energy rebate applications that may be submitted for bank verification.
The Government’s due diligence risking tool has no limit to the number of applications councils are able to check per day.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, whether (a) he and (b) his staff have had discussions with representatives of (i) DP world or (ii) their subsidiaries in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Boris Johnson
Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are published on the gov.uk website.
More generally, I refer the Hon. Member to the response by my Rt Hon Friend, the Transport Secretary of Official Report, 21 March 2022, Col. 43.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what dates the Government held COBRA meetings in respect of Storm Arwen.
Answered by Michael Ellis
As a matter of policy, the Government does not comment on matters related to COBR.
However, we can confirm that Ministers and officials from across government took several measures in response to Storm Arwen.
The Defence Secretary oversaw the deployment of 297 military personnel to support civil authorities in the response. These personnel helped two Local Resilience Forums in the provision of welfare in northeast England, and assisted the Scottish Government in their response in the Grampian region.
The Prime Minister spoke to the chief executive of Northern Powergrid to discuss the ongoing work to restore power in the affected areas. He also spoke with local community leaders in Northumbria, Durham and Darlington, and Lt Col Mark Steed, who coordinated the military involvement in the response in northeast England.
Further to this, The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy gave a statement to Parliament at the time and The Minister for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change responded to an Urgent Question on 6 December.
Last week, the Government published an interim report on Storm Arwen review: Government publishes interim report on Storm Arwen review - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will create a red weather alert protocol to co-ordinate resources and place on standby military aid to the civilian powers in advance of extreme weather events.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The UK has access to some of the most advanced weather forecasting systems in the world.
An established three-tier weather warning system is used by the Met Office. Government departments will often use the warning system to determine and activate a proportionate crisis management response posture, including consideration of military support.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) employees, (b) limb (b) workers, and (c) independent contractors, broken down by region.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he has taken to ensure that the proposed pay changes announced as part of the Government Property Agency’s 10 South Colonnade Facilities Management contract in May 2021 comply with the Cabinet Office’s Principles of Good Employment Practice with regards to employee engagement.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government Property Agency contracts with Mitie for the provision of Total Facilities Management services for some of the Whitehall estate and London, 10 South Colonnade.
The Government Property Agency has not currently undertaken a formal assessment of Mitie’s internal policies nor specifically raised concerns about Mitie’s treatment of their staff. Mitie has assured us that they are consulting with their employees and recognised representatives about the proposed changes and that a solution can be found through negotiation and agreement.
An informal assessment indicates that Mitie holds an annual all employee engagement survey and local activities such as staff newsletters, town halls and engagement forums. They have consulted with their employees working at 10 South Colonnade on the proposed pay harmonisations and held meetings with those affected. This is consistent with principle six of the Cabinet Office Principles of Good Employment Practice.
GPA has a Social Value Plan in development that will, amongst other things, ensure social value is properly taken into account in the award of new GPA contracts.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how Mitie Group Plc has performed against the Government Property Agency’s Facilities Management contract requirement to give its staff an effective voice.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government Property Agency contracts with Mitie for the provision of Total Facilities Management services for some of the Whitehall estate and London, 10 South Colonnade.
The Government Property Agency has not currently undertaken a formal assessment of Mitie’s internal policies nor specifically raised concerns about Mitie’s treatment of their staff. Mitie has assured us that they are consulting with their employees and recognised representatives about the proposed changes and that a solution can be found through negotiation and agreement.
An informal assessment indicates that Mitie holds an annual all employee engagement survey and local activities such as staff newsletters, town halls and engagement forums. They have consulted with their employees working at 10 South Colonnade on the proposed pay harmonisations and held meetings with those affected. This is consistent with principle six of the Cabinet Office Principles of Good Employment Practice.
GPA has a Social Value Plan in development that will, amongst other things, ensure social value is properly taken into account in the award of new GPA contracts.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of whether Mitie’s indication to some of its staff working on civil service contracts that it will fire and rehire them if they do not agree to change their pay dates is compatible with the social value that Mitie is required to deliver through civil service contracts.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government Property Agency contracts with Mitie for the provision of Total Facilities Management services for some of the Whitehall estate and London, 10 South Colonnade.
The Government Property Agency has not currently undertaken a formal assessment of Mitie’s internal policies nor specifically raised concerns about Mitie’s treatment of their staff. Mitie has assured us that they are consulting with their employees and recognised representatives about the proposed changes and that a solution can be found through negotiation and agreement.
An informal assessment indicates that Mitie holds an annual all employee engagement survey and local activities such as staff newsletters, town halls and engagement forums. They have consulted with their employees working at 10 South Colonnade on the proposed pay harmonisations and held meetings with those affected. This is consistent with principle six of the Cabinet Office Principles of Good Employment Practice.
GPA has a Social Value Plan in development that will, amongst other things, ensure social value is properly taken into account in the award of new GPA contracts.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contracts the Government Property Agency has for facility management with Mitie.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government Property Agency contracts with Mitie for the provision of Total Facilities Management services for some of the Whitehall estate and London, 10 South Colonnade.
The Government Property Agency has not currently undertaken a formal assessment of Mitie’s internal policies nor specifically raised concerns about Mitie’s treatment of their staff. Mitie has assured us that they are consulting with their employees and recognised representatives about the proposed changes and that a solution can be found through negotiation and agreement.
An informal assessment indicates that Mitie holds an annual all employee engagement survey and local activities such as staff newsletters, town halls and engagement forums. They have consulted with their employees working at 10 South Colonnade on the proposed pay harmonisations and held meetings with those affected. This is consistent with principle six of the Cabinet Office Principles of Good Employment Practice.
GPA has a Social Value Plan in development that will, amongst other things, ensure social value is properly taken into account in the award of new GPA contracts.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Paragraph 5 of the Civil Service Management Code, what guidance governs (a) the circumstances in which Ministers may make undertakings that legislation which does not bind the Crown will be applied as if it did so and (b) the procedure for issuing such undertakings; and if he will publish that guidance.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
As referenced in my answer to PQ 5182 on 26 May 2021, the Civil Service has not applied any legislation which is not binding on the Crown as if it were so binding. Paragraph 5 simply makes clear that departments must fully comply with legislation that binds the Crown. There is no guidance covering when legislation that does not bind the crown should be applied as if it did so.