Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether a train had been booked for his travel to Cornwall for the G7.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I am responding on behalf of the Prime Minister’s Office. Ministers are required to make essential visits across the country for official government business. The security authorities allow for a wide variety of transport in order for this to be done safely and efficiently.
The Prime Minister set out the target for the G7 Summit to be sustainable and carbon neutral. The Summit has now received independent ISO20121 certification, the highest international standard for sustainable event management.
The Summit Carbon Management Plan includes offsetting all Leaders’ travel, investing in sustainability projects in developing countries which are independently verified by the Gold Standard Impact Registry. The plan is being updated as we continue to assess the full output from the Summit.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to communicate to (a) overseas Governments, (b) Commonwealth Governments and (c) international media in respect of covid-19 precautions before they attend the G7 summit in Cornwall in June 2021.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Further to the answer given to PQ143093, there will be some limited local transport disruption as a result of essential security measures.
We are discussing necessary health and safety measures for delegates with G7 partners and others.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
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 effect of hosting the G7 summit in Cornwall in June 2021 on travel (a) to, (b) from and (c) within the South West during that period.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Further to the answer given to PQ143093, there will be some limited local transport disruption as a result of essential security measures.
We are discussing necessary health and safety measures for delegates with G7 partners and others.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, whether he plans to appoint a Minister to oversee preparations for the G7 Summit in Cornwall in June 2021.
Answered by Boris Johnson
I am ultimately responsible for leading the G7 Presidency and discussions with other G7 leaders. There are no current plans for a separate Ministerial appointment.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
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 effect on the education of school children in St Ives of the decision to host the G7 summit in Cornwall in June 2021.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
We are working with community partners, including the police, St Ives Town Council and Cornwall Council, to minimise local disruption in and around St Ives.
The G7 Summit presents a huge opportunity for the local area, supporting local businesses and creating a lasting legacy. We are looking at ways that we can engage local schoolchildren as a part of that legacy, using the Summit to educate and inspire.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much additional funding he has allocated to (a) Cornwall County Council, (b) Devon and Cornwall Police and (c) the NHS in Cornwall in response to the decision to host the G7 summit in Cornwall in June 2021.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Cabinet Office is working closely with local partners to agree their roles and plans to support the Summit. Details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many members of the UK’s team in the negotiations on the UK's future relationship with the EU in December 2020 were subject specialists in fisheries.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Further to the answer given to PQ48377, negotiations with the EU were led by Task Force Europe, a small central unit led by the Chief Negotiator Lord Frost. By December, there were 38 civil servants working in this team. Negotiations were a cross-departmental effort and accordingly involved a larger number of staff overall, including subject specialists in all key negotiating areas.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he will take to ensure that everyone will be able to vote in the local council elections in May 2021; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing postal voting capacity.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The UK Government is of the view that it would not be appropriate to impose an all-postal vote for the local and mayoral elections in England, and the Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales, in May 2021. All-postal voting increases fraud risks, and removes choice from voters who wish to cast their vote in person.
Postal voting on demand already allows any registered elector to apply for a vote by post.
The Government is working with the electoral administrators and Public Health England to identify and resolve challenges involved in delivering the May 2021 elections, including ensuring polling stations are safe and covid-secure places to vote. People will be able participate in the polls safely, and in a way of their choice, whether by post, proxy or in-person.
This work is outlined in my recent letter to Electoral Returning Officers, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-chloe-smith-mp-to-returning-officers
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Ministers he consulted on those outdoor activities that are exempt from the rule of six covid-19 regulations.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As has been the case under successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not usually disclosed.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether a meeting of the covid-19 operations ministerial committee was scheduled for 12 September 2020.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ66203 on 2 July 2020.