Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to encourage veterans to use housing support available through the Veterans’ Gateway.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
This Government is committed to ending veteran homelessness this year. That is why the Chancellor allocated an additional £20m for veterans’ housing in the Spring Budget, further to the £8.55m already announced in December to help us achieve our mission.
The Veterans’ Gateway service is the Government funded first point of contact for veterans and their families, providing advice and guidance across a spectrum of welfare areas, such as housing, employment, and health, from a consortium of third sector organisations.
Charities, service providers and Government routinely signpost veterans to the Gateway, and further information on the Op FORTITUDE homelessness referral pathway will be passed to the Gateway in due course, allowing veterans in need to be directed to this vital new service.
We have also recently announced a major review into welfare provision for veterans, including the Veterans’ Gateway, which has been commissioned as a result of changes and advances in veteran care during the last decade. This will examine the effectiveness of welfare services, and its recommendations for improvements will be published following the review’s completion.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to encourage civil service staff to return to office working.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
Departments are responsible for making corporate decisions regarding the working arrangements of their staff and a return to greater workplace-working.
The Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency wrote to departments, in 2022, to underline the importance of workplace attendance and clear guidance for staff in this regard - progress continues to be closely monitored. Departments will have in place local arrangements in response to this; information is not collected centrally on methods to encourage staff to return to workplaces.
Data on Civil Service headquarters occupancy is published weekly on GOV.UK and split out by individual departments. This data can be accessed at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-headquarters-occupancy-data
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have died of heat stroke in the UK in the last ten years.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 26 January is attached.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made on the UK's cyber security strategy since COP27; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The government continues to make progress on a wide range of commitments in the National Cyber Strategy 2022. This includes maintaining our focus on the heightened cyber threat linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and working to raise levels of cyber resilience, particularly across government and our critical national infrastructure. In November the government confirmed that the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations will be strengthened to protect essential and digital services against increasingly sophisticated and frequent cyber attacks both now and in the future.
In line with our ‘whole of society’ approach to implementing the Strategy, we have established the National Cyber Advisory Board. Co-chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the Chief Information Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, Sharon Barber, the Board ensures that senior leaders from the private and third sectors challenge, support and inform the UK’s strategic approach to cyber.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to tackle Chinese threats to UK security.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
Our approach to China is comprehensive and coordinated across government, allowing us to robustly defend our values whilst preserving space for cooperation where our interests align.
Earlier this year, we introduced the National Security Bill to Parliament; this Bill will help us to respond to the evolving threat from hostile activity by any state targeting the UK’s democracy, economy and values by making the UK an even harder target for those who seek to conduct hostile acts against the UK.
The UK has also enhanced our economic security regime and taken robust action to build our domestic resilience. We have:
Announced the application of Military End Use Controls to China as part of our revised export control regime, in order to prevent military programmes benefiting from our advanced technology and research by UK firms and institutions.
Strengthened visa screening of academics and researchers in sensitive areas of research through the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS).
Stepped up engagement with and guidance to our higher education and research sectors to alert them to potential risks.
Launched the National Security and Investment Act, giving the government new powers to address national security risks arising from investment.
The refresh of the UK’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy will ensure that our approach continues to adapt to meet new challenges.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the number of children who were victims of domestic violence in the UK in the last 12 months.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 24 October is attached.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen the UK's cyber security in the context of the potential increased risk of malicious cyber activity from Russia.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Our new National Cyber and Government Cyber Security Strategies set out our approach to making the UK more resilient to cyber attacks and countering cyber threats. We have undertaken significant outreach within the Government and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sectors, and the UK Devolved Administrations, providing mitigating advice to bolster the UK’s cyber preparedness.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster recently wrote to Cabinet colleagues to seek assurances that their departments and sectors are implementing the necessary resilience measures.
All organisations should follow the NCSC’s guidance on actions to take when the cyber threat is heightened. Individuals should follow the NCSC’s Cyber Aware guidance.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had with his (a) French and (b) German counterpart on how to further assist Ukraine.
Answered by Boris Johnson
In the run up to and during this conflict, I have spoken regularly with President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, reaffirming in each conversation the united condemnation of Putin’s barbaric actions and the importance of our nations continuing to work closely together. I have also discussed support for Ukraine on a call with G7 and European Leaders on 8 May ahead of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Germany next month.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department is co-ordinating discussions with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and Department for Health and Social Care on a definition of health and wellbeing as it applies to the Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy.
Answered by Michael Ellis
I refer my hon Friend to the reply given by my Rt Hon Friend the Minister of State for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change (Greg Hands) to Question UIN 128456.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of cot deaths in the UK in each of the last five years.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.