Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, Cabinet Office report entitled Investigation into alleged gatherings on Government premises during covid restrictions - update, published on 31 January 2022, if he will commit to publishing the (a) emails, (b) WhatsApp messages, (c) text messages, (d) photographs and (e) building entry and exit logs identified by Sue Gray as part of the investigation for that report.
Answered by Boris Johnson
It would not be appropriate to comment further while the Metropolitan Police Service’s investigation is ongoing. At the end of the process I will ask the Second Permanent Secretary to update her findings, which will be published in line with the terms of reference.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to the Cabinet Office report entitled Investigation into alleged gatherings on Government premises during covid restrictions - update, published 31 January 2022, if he will commit to publishing the transcripts of interviews of over 70 people conducted by Sue Gray as part of the investigation for that report.
Answered by Boris Johnson
It would not be appropriate to comment further while the Metropolitan Police Service’s investigation is ongoing. At the end of the process I will ask the Second Permanent Secretary to update her findings, which will be published in line with the terms of reference.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to take steps to require the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and UK Statistics Authority to disaggregate taxation revenue from income on (a) earnings and (b) dividend payments in the tax revenues published annually by the ONS as part of the Country and Regional Public Sector Finances.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing measures to make the membership of Advisory Committee on Business Appointments more representative of society.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Cabinet Office. It considers applications under the business appointment rules about new jobs for former ministers, senior civil servants and other Crown servants. Political and independent members are appointed for five year, non-renewable terms.
Political members are nominated on the recommendation of the leader of the relevant political party.
In accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments, the appointments of Independent Members to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments are made on merit following an open and fair competition.
As outlined in its 2019 Public Appointments Diversity Action Plan, the government remains committed to ensuring that public appointees are drawn from all aspects of the society that they serve and this includes those on the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to amend the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 to expand the reporting requirement to include (a) the specific nature of the lobbying engagement, who is being targeted and what policy areas are under discussion, on behalf of whom; (b) the estimated value of the lobbying activity registered and (c) a list of current employees engaged in lobbying that have worked in the public sector in the five years prior to registration.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government is currently undertaking post-legislative scrutiny of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 (the Lobbying Act). The outcome of this process will look to take into account any relevant findings of the Boardman review and Standards Matter 2, and will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to amend the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 to include contact made by individuals or organisations engaged in lobbying with any employee of government.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government is currently undertaking post-legislative scrutiny of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 (the Lobbying Act). The outcome of this process will look to take into account any relevant findings of the Boardman review and Standards Matter 2, and will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to amend the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 to include in-house employees engaged in lobbying.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government is currently undertaking post-legislative scrutiny of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 (the Lobbying Act). The outcome of this process will look to take into account any relevant findings of the Boardman review and Standards Matter 2, and will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what requirement there is on each Department to oversee the application of business appointment rules.
Answered by Michael Ellis
As set out in Written Statement HCWS185, the Government is working with the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments to improve the operation and efficacy of the Business Appointment Rules.
The recommendations from Nigel Boardman’s report into the development and use of supply chain finance in government, as well as the Standards Matter 2 report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, will be considered as a part of this work with an update to be published later this year.
The Civil Service Management Code requires departments to make appropriate arrangements that reflect the Business Appointment Rules for Civil Servants. Departments should provide an assurance statement outlining their application of the Rules. Departmental Audit and Risk Committees are required to consider the implementation of the Rules in their departments. Departments are also required to publish summary information in respect of individuals at director and deputy director grades, including special advisers of equivalent standing.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing measures to (a) make compliance with Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) rulings mandatory and (b) provide powers of sanction for non-compliance with ACOBA rulings.
Answered by Michael Ellis
As set out in Written Statement HCWS185, the Government is working with the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments to improve the operation and efficacy of the Business Appointment Rules.
The recommendations from Nigel Boardman’s report into the development and use of supply chain finance in government, as well as the Standards Matter 2 report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, will be considered as a part of this work with an update to be published later this year.
The Civil Service Management Code requires departments to make appropriate arrangements that reflect the Business Appointment Rules for Civil Servants. Departments should provide an assurance statement outlining their application of the Rules. Departmental Audit and Risk Committees are required to consider the implementation of the Rules in their departments. Departments are also required to publish summary information in respect of individuals at director and deputy director grades, including special advisers of equivalent standing.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of workers on zero hours contracts in (a) the Hemsworth constituency, (b) West Yorkshire and (c) Yorkshire and Humber.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.