Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent communications he has had from each Gov.UK Verify provider on their continued participation in the scheme.
Answered by Lord Hart of Tenby
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2019 to Question 278600, for what reason that Answer did not confirm whether the Government has requested an extension for Windows 7 support from Microsoft.
Answered by Lord Hart of Tenby
The Government Digital Service (GDS) provides government departments with guidance on selecting technology through the Technology Code of Practice. Further details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technology-code-of-practice/technology-code-of-practice
Individual technology choices and volumes purchased rest with individual departments. As such, GDS does not provide guidance to departments on specific operating systems, such as Windows 7 and the Government does not hold information concerning departments choice to use Windows 7 machines centrally. Microsoft provides guidance for its operating systems should departments need specific information.
Additionally, the National Cyber Security Centre published information on their blog on the upcoming removal of Windows 7 Support. The blog post can be found here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/one-year-left-windows-7-support
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, which (a) Cabinet and (b) former Cabinet members have returned severance payments to the public purse in the last three years.
Answered by Oliver Dowden
Severance payments for Ministers are a statutory entitlement under section 4 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991. Information relating to Cabinet Ministers’ severance payments is held by individual departments, and is published in their departmental annual report and accounts. These are published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2019 to Question 279145, on what date his Department most recently assessed the number of Government Transformation Strategy objectives on track to be met by 2020; and if he will set a time frame for the publication of this information.
Answered by Lord Hart of Tenby
The Government Transformation Strategy concludes in March 2020. The Government Digital Service (GDS) will publish an assessment of progress against the commitments set out in the strategy later in 2020.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2019 to Question 276281 on Huawei: 5G, if he will meet with operators to raise cybersecurity CNI standards.
Answered by David Lidington
As stated in my answer to Question 276281 of 16 July, regular meetings take place between telecommunications operators and HM Government officials from the National Cyber Security Centre, Cabinet Office and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of computers in the public sector that are using Windows 7; and whether his Department has set a deadline for the withdrawal of Windows 7 in advance of Microsofts' end of support for that operating system.
Answered by Oliver Dowden
Decisions about technology choices rest with individual departments and bodies in the public sector. As such, Cabinet Office does not hold this information centrally.
The Cabinet Office itself does not have any computers using Windows 7.
The National Cyber Security Centre has published information on the upcoming removal of Windows 7 Support, here:
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/one-year-left-windows-7-support
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with Microsoft on support for Windows 7 operating systems used by the public sector; and whether he has requested an extension of that support.
Answered by Oliver Dowden
Details of Ministerial meetings are published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2019 to Question 272302 on Huawei: 5G, whether he has met with the operators that are known not to follow Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre advice and guidance.
Answered by David Lidington
Regular meetings take place between telecommunications operators and HM Government officials from the National Cyber Security Centre, Cabinet Office and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
The National Cyber Security Centre engage with every operator who uses the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre to manage cyber security risks within their networks. Other operators may use the guidance that is publicly available on the NCSC website, which we cannot track, or advice from other relevant bodies such as Ofcom, the regulator.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2019 to Question 274634, what cost/benefit analyses have been conducted for each of the catalyst challenges; and if he will publish those analyses.
Answered by Oliver Dowden
I refer the Honourable Member to my answer given to Question 271623 on 2 July 2019.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Minister or official is responsible for ensuring cross-governmental compliance with the Minimum Cyber Security Standard.
Answered by David Lidington
I am accountable to Parliament for the National Cyber Security Strategy and the accompanying investment programme. I am also the lead Minister for the cyber resilience of the government sector.
The Government Chief Security Officer (GCSO) leads the Government Security Function, which seeks to build the capacity and capabilities of security professionals across UK government departments, covering physical, human and information security.
The GCSO is also Director General of the Government Security Group within the Cabinet Office, which is responsible for the oversight, coordination and delivery of protective security capabilities within all central government departments, their agencies and arms-length bodies.
The responsibility for security, including risk management and policy implementation, sits with the Accounting Officer and the executive board of each department.