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Written Question
Covid-19 Inquiry: Cost Effectiveness
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's publication entitled UK Covid-19 Inquiry Management Statement, published in August 2022, what steps he is taking to ensure the Covid-19 public inquiry represents overall value for money.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is an independent public inquiry.

In line with the UK Covid-19 Management Statement, the Inquiry’s Accounting Officer must conform to value for money and good financial management requirements and must provide financial updates to the Cabinet Office as its sponsor department.

The Chair is under a statutory obligation to avoid unnecessary costs in the Inquiry’s work and she has been clear that she intends to complete her work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The Inquiry publishes regular financial updates, the latest from November 2023 can be found at the link here: https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/documents/uk-covid-19-inquiry-financial-report-for-quarter-2-2023-24/. The total expenditure for the financial year to 31 March 2023 was £22.4m.

Written Question
Sue Gray
Wednesday 12th July 2023

Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any (a) severance and (b) exit payments have been made to the former Second Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office, Sue Gray following her resignation.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

Sue Gray resigned from the Civil Service with effect from 2 March 2023. She was paid for the salary and untaken annual leave she had accrued up to this date. She did not receive any severance payment.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 09 Sep 2022
Tributes to Her Late Majesty The Queen

"It is only three months since I stood here to join the wonderful tributes to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s platinum jubilee. Today the House and the country feels immense sadness at her passing, but that is tempered by the opportunity to recognise her extraordinary life of service, and by …..."
James Wild - View Speech

View all James Wild (Con - North West Norfolk) contributions to the debate on: Tributes to Her Late Majesty The Queen
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 20 Jul 2022
Heatwave Response

"Yesterday, wildfires in my constituency destroyed properties in Brancaster Staithe and also destroyed habitats and wildlife on the famous Wild Ken Hill estate, which is well known for hosting the BBC’s “Springwatch”. Let me put on record my constituents’ immense thanks to Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service and the other …..."
James Wild - View Speech

View all James Wild (Con - North West Norfolk) contributions to the debate on: Heatwave Response
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 18 Jul 2022
Extreme Heat Preparedness

"People living in the Woottons, Castle Rising, Reffley and other parts of my constituency are rightly angry that they were left without water over the last 48 hours due to a burst main. I am grateful to those who worked through the night to fix the broken pipe. I am …..."
James Wild - View Speech

View all James Wild (Con - North West Norfolk) contributions to the debate on: Extreme Heat Preparedness
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 21 Jun 2022
Adviser on Ministerial Interests

"The hon. Gentleman is making a typically measured speech himself. In talking about ethics and standards, can he confirm whether the SNP Westminster group still has a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour? A leaked recording this weekend would indicate that that is no longer the case...."
James Wild - View Speech

View all James Wild (Con - North West Norfolk) contributions to the debate on: Adviser on Ministerial Interests
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 26 May 2022
Address to Her Majesty: Platinum Jubilee

"It is a pleasure to rise to support this Humble Address to Her Majesty the Queen. In doing so, I am mindful that while all my constituents are important, the Queen, through her Sandringham estate, is undoubtedly the most special. Sandringham in my North West Norfolk constituency has long been …..."
James Wild - View Speech

View all James Wild (Con - North West Norfolk) contributions to the debate on: Address to Her Majesty: Platinum Jubilee
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 May 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"8. What plans he has to give Crown Court judges the power to require defendants held on remand to attend sentencing hearings in person. ..."
James Wild - View Speech

View all James Wild (Con - North West Norfolk) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 May 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"It is important for public confidence that justice is seen to be done. When defendants in murder, rape and other serious cases hide in their cells and fail to appear for sentencing, they are effectively abusing their victim and the victim’s family once again. So I welcome the work that …..."
James Wild - View Speech

View all James Wild (Con - North West Norfolk) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Written Question
Cabinet Office: Contracts
Wednesday 12th January 2022

Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many contingent labour contracts (a) for people with day rates of £1,000 or over, excluding recoverable VAT and (b) durations of 18 months or over his Department has approved in the last five years, by department.

Answered by Michael Ellis

The approval of consultancy and professional services spend of over £500k or 9 months duration by Cabinet Office is subject to central government spending control since October 2021. Prior to this, approval of consultancy and professional services spending of up to £10m was delegated to departments and other central government bodies. As a result, the data requested is not available.

The approval of contingent labour spend for engagements with day rates of £1,000 or over, excluding recoverable VAT and (b) durations of 18 months or over by Cabinet Office is subject to central government spend control since November 2021. Prior to this, spend decisions were fully delegated to departments and therefore no central dataset was collected on this specific spend.