Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department issues on how (a) schools, (b) NHS trusts and (c) other public bodies should respond to ransomware attacks.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The world leading National Cyber Security Centre provides comprehensive guidance to all UK public bodies on how to respond to ransomware attacks, which can be found. The guidance is clear that central Government funds will not be used by Government departments or Arms Length Bodies (ALBs) to pay ransomware demands and this stance was publicly reiterated in November 2023 when the UK, along with other members of the Counter Ransomware Initiative, signed a joint statement discouraging anyone from paying a ransomware demand.
NHS England and the Department for Education provide bespoke guidance for their respective sectors which is consistent with the wider government’s approach. The Department is committed to harnessing expertise on this subject, including recently hosting a roundtable discussion on academic security with the support of the NCSC, to ensure that guidance continues to be appropriate for the developing threat.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many contracts are held to use Fujitsu software by each Government department; and whether he plans to review those contracts.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Details of central government contracts where the contract value is above £12,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
As with all contracts, we continue to keep Fujitsu's conduct and commercial performance under review.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to publish full details of his review of the potential role and scope of a UK covid-19 vaccine certification scheme; what organisations will be involved in that review; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
As set out in the COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021, published on 22 February, the Government will review whether COVID-status certification could play a role in reopening our economy, reducing restrictions on social contact and improving safety. The Government will set out its conclusions ahead of Step 4 of the roadmap, which will happen no earlier than 21 June.
The Government has published the Terms of Reference for the review:
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government has taken to ensure that OmniGov support for local news outlets in Yorkshire is (a) equitable and (b) commensurate with the support provided to regional news outlets.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given to PQ 33512 on 21 April 2020, PQ 40655 on 11 May 2020, PQ 45460 on 18 May 2020, and PQ 46692 on 29 May 2020.
OmniGOV is the appointed agency responsible for media buying across all Government campaigns. In performing this role, they are responsible for ensuring campaigns are delivered both effectively and cost-efficiently. Titles for this campaign are selected by OmniGOV based on their ability to communicate in a measurable and effective way with audiences at a national, regional and local level.
The press partnership is designed to support the printed media and to reach older audiences and audiences which consume less online media. The partnership has also been structured deliberately to favour smaller regional and local titles. We have not selected digital-only titles because we are already investing heavily in digital advertising. Every title is assessed by OmniGOV and by our media auditors.
Cabinet Office is continuously tracking and reviewing spending on cross-government campaigns, including Covid-19, to ensure our communications are efficient. Our Covid-19 messages have reached 95% of adults on average 17 times per week.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to introduce voter ID as a requirement in elections; what the planned timescale is for implementing that requirement; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Voter ID is part of a body of work this Government is delivering to strengthen the integrity of our electoral system and give the public confidence that our elections are modern, fair and secure.
We will bring forward legislation enabling the implementation of voter ID and wider electoral integrity measures when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will ensure that the Government’s covid-19 public information campaign makes widespread use of local news outlets in addition to regional and national newspapers.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQs 37724 and 37725 on 27 April 2020.