Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2019 to Question 280190, how much does he expect to pay Deloitte for services in relation to Wakefield City Academies Trust.
Answered by Nick Gibb
I refer the hon. Member for Wakefield to the answer I gave on 31 July 2019 to 280190.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Wakefield)
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 30 September 2019 to Question 290970 on Brexit, when he plans to publish the costs of the Get Ready for Brexit campaign for (a) August and (b) September 2019.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Cabinet Office has undertaken to publish information relating to ongoing expenditure on the public information campaign as part of the department’s monthly data transparency releases. The published information will be available on a regular basis on GOV.UK here: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data)
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the memorandum of understanding sent from the Cabinet Office to his Department governing the sharing of GOV.UK user data with the Government Digital Service.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government Digital Service (GDS) is implementing end-to-end performance monitoring so that GOV.UK can be designed to ensure that people can access the information and services they need as easily as possible. Departments are enabling GDS to centrally collect data on site usage across the GOV.UK estate, to provide an end to end, anonymised view of how people interact with government online. In developing this project, both GDS and departments have taken into account both the data protection regime and other guidance like the Government’s Data Ethics Framework.
Clear and robust Memorandums of Understanding set out the terms of the project. The MOUs outline the responsibilities of both the GDS and departments in a number of areas, including handling the relevant data to ensure there is no unauthorised access, loss, misuse, modification or disclosure.
The MoUs will be regularly updated in line with the government’s commitment to continuous improvement in digital services and best practice in data and privacy standards. It is a long standing government policy to operate in the spirit of full transparency, and GDS plan to publish the document in due course.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Wakefield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how information and data in the Cabinet Office or Government Digital Service which is collected centrally or shared by Departments is held; what the security clearance required to access such data is; who has access to such data; and what measures are in place to ensure such data does not leave the Cabinet Office.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
The Government Digital Service (GDS) and the wider Cabinet Office take their responsibilities in relation to the handling of data extremely seriously. We always take into account both the data protection regime and other guidance like the Government’s Data Ethics Framework.
Different types of data and information are stored in different ways in accordance with our information assurance policies. In relation to the specific project to join up performance analytics across the GOV.UK estate, GDS has created a separate account within its existing Google Analytics account to hold the anonymised performance data collected from GOV.UK services managed by other government departments. Data within the two accounts is not linked together.
Currently Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) cleared personnel working on the project have access to this anonymised data. BPSS is the minimum required security clearance, and access is granted on a case-by-case basis to further ensure that only appropriate people have access to the data. Data is stored in an encrypted format when it is in transit between service systems and the centralised Google Analytics account, and when stored in the account data store. These measures, together with GDS’s secure by default approach ensure that no data will leave the Cabinet Office by accident or malicious intent.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Wakefield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government Communications Service is taking to ensure that (a) transparency and (b) the values of the civil service code are maintained through effective governance of communications on the UK's departure from the EU.
Answered by Kevin Foster
As with all Government communications activity, the highest professional standards are adhered to. The ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ campaign is a cross-government campaign coordinated by the Cabinet Office, DExEU and No.10. It will be delivered by the Government Communications Service.
The purpose of the GCS is to deliver world-class public service communications that support ministers’ priorities, enable the efficient and effective operation of public services, and improve people’s lives.
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of all civil servants. The Government Communication Propriety Guidance gives information to all members of the GCS. It is also available through this link: https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Government-Communication-Propriety-Guidance-Feb-16-1.pdf The Government Communications Functional Standard GovS0.11, underpinned by extensive GCS guidance and resources, sets the expectations for the management and practice of government communications. The Functional Standard is available here: https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/180808-GovS011-Comms-Standard-Approved-1.0.pdf
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Wakefield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has (a) awarded a commercial contract to and (b) purchased digital services from (i) Anomaly LLP and (ii) Anomaly UK London Ltd in the last six months.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
Cabinet Office records show that the Department has not awarded a commercial contract to, or purchased digital services from Anomaly LLP or Anomaly UK London Ltd in the last six months.
Records of central Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what amount his Department has spent on the Getting Ready for Brexit campaign since 23 July 2019; which companies have been awarded contracts by his Department as part of the Getting Ready for Brexit campaign; whether (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants including special advisers declared any interests in relation to those contracts; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the civil service code values of transparency and impartiality are maintained through the effective governance of communications on the UK's departure from the EU.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has not spent any money on the Getting Ready for Brexit campaign since 23 July 2019. No contracts have been awarded by the Department as a part of this campaign.
The Department is providing its own guidance to the education sectors that it serves via published information on GOV.UK, support through existing networks, and otherwise through the normal conduct of the day-to-day business of the Government, for which officials are aware of the need to uphold the values of the civil service code. All Departmental communications are subject to rigorous clearance processes.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Wakefield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is (a) the nature of services purchased by the Government from CDL Group, (b) the value of the contract, (c) the length of the contract, (d) the process by which the contract was awarded and (e) whether any interests were declared by Ministers and civil servants, including special advisers, in relation to the award of the contract.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
Records of central Government contracts above £10,000 and information on how they are awarded are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Wakefield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will (a) publish the memorandum of understanding between the Government Digital Service and Government departments on data ethics and compliance that enables cross tracking of Gov.UK, (b) state which Departments and non-departmental bodies the MOU was sent to and (c) set out the departments and non-departmental public bodies that have agreed the MOU.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
The Government Digital Service (GDS) is implementing end-to-end performance monitoring so that GOV.UK can be designed to ensure that people can access the information and services they need as easily as possible. Government departments are enabling GDS to centrally collect data on site usage across the GOV.UK estate, to provide an end to end, anonymised view of how people interact with government online. In developing this project, we have taken into account both the data protection regime and other guidance like the Government’s Data Ethics Framework.
We are using clear and robust Memorandums of Understanding to set out the terms of the project. The MOUs outline the responsibilities of both the GDS and departments in a number of areas, including handling the relevant data to ensure there is no unauthorised access, loss, misuse, modification or disclosure.
The MoUs were sent to the following departments: the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Department for Education (DfE), the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU), the Department for Transport (DfT), the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), the Home Office, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), HM Treasury (HMT), the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Department for International Trade (DfID), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Cabinet Office (CO) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). We have received signed MOUs from all Departments apart from FCO, CO, DWP and DCMS as we are still working through some points of detail, to facilitate their response.
The MoUs will be regularly updated in line with the government’s commitment to continuous improvement in digital services and best practice in data and privacy standards. It is a long standing policy of the Government Digital Service to operate in the spirit of full transparency, and we plan to publish the document in due course.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Wakefield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much is being spent by each Department in the Get ready for Brexit campaign; and whether the media buying for this campaign is taking place by OMD Group Ltd under the Crown Commercial Services for media buying services.
Answered by Kevin Foster
In law, the UK is set to leave the EU on 31 October 2019. “Get Ready for Brexit” is a public information campaign providing the facts citizens and businesses need to know about the preparations they need to take to be ready for when the UK leaves the EU.
The campaign is a cross-government campaign using national advertising including TV, radio, press, digital and outdoor advertising. It also includes direct engagement and local elements including business preparedness events, ministerial visits and local authority activity.
The cost of the public information campaign will be published monthly on a rolling basis, as part of routine government transparency.
For maximum economies of scale, media for all Government campaigns is bought centrally through a new Crown Commercial Service framework with Manning Gottlieb OMD. The framework maximises value for the UK taxpayer through robust pricing guarantees that are defined for the life of the contract and rates which are benchmarked against other public and private sector organisations.