Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the financial impact on UK Security Vetting applicants of waiting periods for security clearance.
Answered by Michael Ellis
No assessment has been made of the financial impact on applicants to UK Security Vetting of waiting periods for security clearance.
The purpose of National Security Vetting is to help safeguard National Security. Waiting periods for security clearance are driven by the time required to gather information from a range of sources on an applicant and the subsequent analysis of this information. Waiting times therefore vary accordingly.
Advice is provided to applicants that this process can take some time to complete. I am unable to comment further on the financial impact that this essential security control may have.
Work is ongoing within Cabinet Office to modernise and improve the effectiveness of vetting overall, in line with the Government’s wider modernisation agenda and to keep pace with the threats faced by the UK today. The modernisation aims to improve the end to end user experience for the applicant and sponsoring department and improve the speed of applications.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the terms of reference for the independent inquiry into lobbying by Greensill will include its contacts with the Scottish Government in connection with Liberty Steel and its funding of GFG Alliance assets in Lochaber.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the hon. Member to the review's Terms of Reference, published on 16 April: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/review-into-the-development-and-use-of-supply-chain-finance-in-government-terms-of-reference.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what effect the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement has had on the (a) costs and (b) timescales of shipping from the UK to the EU since the end of the transition period.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
On costs, I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given at Oral Questions for the Cabinet Office on 11 February.
Freight flows through GB ports are now nearly at the normal levels we would expect for this time of year.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the English Votes for English Laws process.
Answered by Chloe Smith
It is the case that MPs from across the UK are able to debate, amend and vote on every piece of legislation that passes through the House of Commons as no legislation can be made without the consent of the whole House. The English Votes for English Laws procedure has provided a mechanism for MPs representing English constituencies to consent to legislation that affects England only.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the redundancy packages required for the creation of the new Government.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
This information is not held centrally.
Section 4 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 sets out Ministers’ entitlement to severance payments. Payments to individuals are processed by the relevant departments. Any such payments are published in each department’s audited annual accounts, and these accounts can be found on GOV.UK.
When their appointing Minister leaves office, special advisers are entitled to a severance payment, to be paid in accordance with the terms set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers, which can be found on GOV.UK. The cost of special advisers is published and laid before Parliament on an annual basis and is available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including in the Consolidated Guidance on rendition and torture the removal of persons to other countries without judicial supervision for purposes such as interrogation or detention.
Answered by David Lidington
Sir Adrian Fulford, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner, has submitted a proposed
revised version of the Consolidated Guidance to the Government for consideration
The Government is looking carefully at his proposals and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions the Government has had with (a) President Trump, (b) members of the US administration and (c) senior officials in the US administration on an independent judge-led inquiry into UK involvement in torture and rendition.
Answered by David Lidington
I can confirm that there have been no discussions.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 12 November to Question 188227 on Rendition and Torture: Inquiries, whether the Government plans to announce its decision on an independent judge-led inquiry before the House rises for Christmas recess.
Answered by David Lidington
I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the Prime Minister’s Written Ministerial Statement of 22 November. (HCWS1100)
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, who the business representatives are on the five new business councils formed by the her who will advise on how to create the best business conditions in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Theresa May
I refer the hon. Member to the press release issued on 6 November 2018 which is available on the gov.uk website:
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the June 2018 report of the Intelligence and Security Committee on rendition and torture, what progress has been made on restarting a judge-led inquiry into those issues; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Lidington
I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the answer given by the Minister of State for Europe and the Americas on 12 September 2018 to the Honourable Member for Leeds North West, (reference 171734).