Neil Gray Portrait

Neil Gray

Scottish National Party - Former Member for Airdrie and Shotts

First elected: 7th May 2015

Left House: 24th March 2021 (Resignation (Northstead))


Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Work and Pensions)
1st Jul 2018 - 1st Feb 2021
Draft Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill
26th Nov 2018 - 6th Nov 2019
Finance Committee (Commons)
30th Oct 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Social Justice)
20th Jun 2017 - 1st Jul 2018
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Fair Work and Employment)
19th Oct 2015 - 20th Jun 2017
Finance Committee (Commons)
20th Jul 2015 - 3rd May 2017
Palace of Westminster (Joint Committee)
16th Jul 2015 - 3rd May 2017


Division Voting information

Neil Gray has voted in 798 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Neil Gray Division Votes

All Debates

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Guy Opperman (Conservative)
(39 debate interactions)
Justin Tomlinson (Conservative)
(34 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Work and Pensions
(371 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(119 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(86 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Pension Schemes Act 2021
(10,916 words contributed)
Financial Guidance and Claims Act 2018
(6,216 words contributed)
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
(2,925 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Neil Gray's debates

Latest EDMs signed by Neil Gray

8th March 2021
Neil Gray signed this EDM on Wednesday 10th March 2021

Uprating of state pensions

Tabled by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
That this House regrets that over half a million UK pensioners continue to have their pensions frozen as a result of where they live and notes that 90 per cent of those people live in Commonwealth countries with which the UK has strong cultural and historical ties; is further concerned …
32 signatures
(Most recent: 21 Apr 2021)
Signatures by party:
Scottish National Party: 15
Conservative: 4
Labour: 4
Independent: 3
Plaid Cymru: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Green Party: 1
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 1
Alba Party: 1
8th March 2021
Neil Gray signed this EDM on Wednesday 10th March 2021

Monklands Women's Aid

Tabled by: Steven Bonnar (Scottish National Party - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
That this House celebrates the social, political and economic achievements of women on International Women's Day; acknowledges the positive contributions made by Monklands Women's Aid in providing a necessary lifeline to women who have suffered abuse across the Lanarkshire area; recognises the importance of independent dedicated women's services; and calls …
20 signatures
(Most recent: 13 Apr 2021)
Signatures by party:
Scottish National Party: 16
Alba Party: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Independent: 1
View All Neil Gray's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Neil Gray, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


1 Urgent Question tabled by Neil Gray

Tuesday 4th February 2020

3 Adjournment Debates led by Neil Gray

Wednesday 5th June 2019
Tuesday 19th December 2017
Tuesday 18th April 2017

1 Bill introduced by Neil Gray


A Bill to require pre-paid funeral plan contracts to be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority; to amend the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 accordingly; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Wednesday 14th December 2016
(Read Debate)

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
10 Other Department Questions
13th May 2019
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress her Department has made on achieving Sustainable Development Goal 10 to reduce inequality within and among countries in respect of inequality within the UK.

The UK will present a Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the United Nations in July 2019, setting out the UK’s contribution to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), at home and abroad. The report will include the Government’s progress in supporting delivery of Goal 10 to reduce inequality within and among countries and will include an assessment of the UK’s efforts to empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all and reduce inequalities of outcome and discriminatory laws, policies and practices.

Victoria Atkins
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
14th Jan 2019
To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what recent discussions the Electoral Commission has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on the investigatory powers of the Electoral Commission.

The Commission has on-going dialogue with the Minister for the Constitution and has raised the need for a significant increase to its current maximum fine of only £20,000 per offence. This would ensure that sanctions are proportionate and provide a genuine deterrent to campaigners who may be tempted to break the UK’s political finance laws.

It continues to recommend that its investigative and sanctioning powers should be extended to include offences relating to candidate spending and donations at major elections. This would help to ensure compliance with the rules at UK-wide and other national elections, and to strengthen voters’ trust in the regulatory system.

Bridget Phillipson
Minister for Women and Equalities
27th Mar 2018
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she or her predecessors met with representatives of the SCL group or Cambridge Analytica.

Neither my Right Honourable Friend, nor any of her recent predecessors have had meetings with the SCL Group or Cambridge Analytica in their role as Minister for Women and Equalities.

Victoria Atkins
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
27th Mar 2018
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department has had contracts with SCL group or Cambridge Analytica.

The Government Equalities Office has had no contracts with SCL Group or Cambridge Analytica.

Victoria Atkins
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
10th Nov 2015
To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reasons a fire safety contract with Norland Managed Services, London has been awarded outwith the Restoration and Renewal project for the Palace of Westminster.

This contract is one element of a wider programme to achieve compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 by the end of 2018, in accordance with a commitment the House made in 2011 to the Crown Premises Inspection Group.

Achieving compliance will reduce the risk of fire causing loss of life or injury to individuals, destroying or damaging the building, or disrupting the work of Parliament.

9th Jun 2015
To ask the hon. Member for Mole Valley representing the House of Commons Commission, how much has been spent on repair, renovation and restoration of the Palace of Westminster in each financial year from 2005 to 2015.

The two Houses spent the following amounts on repair, renovation and restoration of the Palace of Westminster in each financial year from 2007/08 to 2014/15. Figures before 2007/08 are not available.

2007/08 - £27.6m
2008/09 - £18.4m
2009/10 - £31.6m
2010/11 - £29.2m
2011/12 - £29.3m
2012/13 - £36.3m
2013/14 - £42.2m
2014/15 - £48.7m (Provisional, subject to audit)

9th Jun 2015
To ask the hon. Member for Mole Valley representing the House of Commons Commission, how the Commission decides when repairs and renovations to the parliamentary estate are required.

The process by which repair and renovation of the Palace of Westminster is procured – whether for the purpose of the longer-term Restoration and Renewal Programme, the Medium Term Investment Plan, or otherwise:

  1. is shaped by objectives specified in an Outline Business Case produced in accordance with the Treasury Green Book Five Case model;
  2. is resolved by a contract awarded through an open and competitive tender procedure that is compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015;
  3. takes into consideration whether compliant collaborative procurement options, where available, are a viable option according to the scope of the work;
  4. includes a specification and range of award criteria which are representative of, and will be capable of realising, the value-for-money objectives determined by the respective Outline Business Case;
  5. may be considered within a higher level Gateway Review Assurance process where considered appropriate.


The default position in the Houses’ Procurement Policy is to set evaluation criteria weightings of 70% for price and 30% for quality. We expect these ratios to be applied when procuring repair and renovation works. The House Procurement Policy goes on to provide a waiver process by which a justification and recommendation can be made to vary these weightings according to circumstances and value-for-money considerations specific to a given procurement. A contract that looks to transfer a higher level of responsibility and liability for design to the contractor is a common example of where the balance in weighting may be moved towards quality as a consequence of a waiver application.

The need for repairs is determined with reference to a number of factors: condition surveys of the Estate; an annual exercise to prioritise the portfolio of projects; inspections carried out on a quadrennial basis; advice from the House’s Design Authority; and calls to the PED Helpdesk. In particular:

  1. A comprehensive condition survey of the Estate was carried out in 2008/09, the results of which fed into a 25-year plan. This survey identified a significant number of defects, the works for which were all priced and given recommended completion dates. These tasks were then packaged minor or major projects and added to the scope of existing works within the 25-year plan.
  2. Following on from this comprehensive survey, there is a rolling programme of condition surveys every two years, which similarly identifies defects and further work.
  3. An annual exercise is undertaken by senior managers, including the Director General of Facilities and the Finance Director, to assess and prioritise the portfolio of projects in order to inform the Medium Term Investment Plan for the following four-year period. Projects are prioritised, taking the following factors into account:
  • compliance with legislative or contractual requirements;
  • business objectives;
  • mitigation of the risk of failure to services;
  • conservation of the fabric of the buildings.


The Medium Term Investment Plan is then considered by the Finance Committee before being approved by the House of Commons Commission.

  1. The Palace of Westminster is a Grade 1 listed building, and PED follows best practice by ensuring that an inspection is carried out every four years by the Conservation and Architectural Team. These inspections identify tasks which should be carried out to ensure the fabric of the building is maintained properly.
  2. The PED Design Authority, established in 2011, is committed to “ensure consistent standards, value for money, statutory compliance and user satisfaction”. Practically, it concentrates on the lifecycle of the engineering assets, ensuring that initial and replacement capital costs are balanced with the ongoing operating and maintenance costs, and with identified business needs. It acts as a Central Engineering department, and advises on the requirements for works and systems and services across the Parliamentary Estate.
  3. PED has a helpdesk system which receives and handles building faults reported by Members, Members’ staff, and staff of the House. These faults are prioritised according to service level agreements.


The Director General of Facilities would be happy to brief the hon. Member in more detail, should he wish.

9th Jun 2015
To ask the hon. Member for Mole Valley representing the House of Commons Commission, what weighting the Commission gives to best value for money in its repairs and renovations procurement policy.

The process by which repair and renovation of the Palace of Westminster is procured – whether for the purpose of the longer-term Restoration and Renewal Programme, the Medium Term Investment Plan, or otherwise:

  1. is shaped by objectives specified in an Outline Business Case produced in accordance with the Treasury Green Book Five Case model;
  2. is resolved by a contract awarded through an open and competitive tender procedure that is compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015;
  3. takes into consideration whether compliant collaborative procurement options, where available, are a viable option according to the scope of the work;
  4. includes a specification and range of award criteria which are representative of, and will be capable of realising, the value-for-money objectives determined by the respective Outline Business Case;
  5. may be considered within a higher level Gateway Review Assurance process where considered appropriate.


The default position in the Houses’ Procurement Policy is to set evaluation criteria weightings of 70% for price and 30% for quality. We expect these ratios to be applied when procuring repair and renovation works. The House Procurement Policy goes on to provide a waiver process by which a justification and recommendation can be made to vary these weightings according to circumstances and value-for-money considerations specific to a given procurement. A contract that looks to transfer a higher level of responsibility and liability for design to the contractor is a common example of where the balance in weighting may be moved towards quality as a consequence of a waiver application.

The need for repairs is determined with reference to a number of factors: condition surveys of the Estate; an annual exercise to prioritise the portfolio of projects; inspections carried out on a quadrennial basis; advice from the House’s Design Authority; and calls to the PED Helpdesk. In particular:

  1. A comprehensive condition survey of the Estate was carried out in 2008/09, the results of which fed into a 25-year plan. This survey identified a significant number of defects, the works for which were all priced and given recommended completion dates. These tasks were then packaged minor or major projects and added to the scope of existing works within the 25-year plan.
  2. Following on from this comprehensive survey, there is a rolling programme of condition surveys every two years, which similarly identifies defects and further work.
  3. An annual exercise is undertaken by senior managers, including the Director General of Facilities and the Finance Director, to assess and prioritise the portfolio of projects in order to inform the Medium Term Investment Plan for the following four-year period. Projects are prioritised, taking the following factors into account:
  • compliance with legislative or contractual requirements;
  • business objectives;
  • mitigation of the risk of failure to services;
  • conservation of the fabric of the buildings.


The Medium Term Investment Plan is then considered by the Finance Committee before being approved by the House of Commons Commission.

  1. The Palace of Westminster is a Grade 1 listed building, and PED follows best practice by ensuring that an inspection is carried out every four years by the Conservation and Architectural Team. These inspections identify tasks which should be carried out to ensure the fabric of the building is maintained properly.
  2. The PED Design Authority, established in 2011, is committed to “ensure consistent standards, value for money, statutory compliance and user satisfaction”. Practically, it concentrates on the lifecycle of the engineering assets, ensuring that initial and replacement capital costs are balanced with the ongoing operating and maintenance costs, and with identified business needs. It acts as a Central Engineering department, and advises on the requirements for works and systems and services across the Parliamentary Estate.
  3. PED has a helpdesk system which receives and handles building faults reported by Members, Members’ staff, and staff of the House. These faults are prioritised according to service level agreements.


The Director General of Facilities would be happy to brief the hon. Member in more detail, should he wish.

9th Jun 2015
To ask the hon. Member for Mole Valley representing the House of Commons Commission, by what process the Commission procures repair and renovation work for the Palace of Westminster.

The process by which repair and renovation of the Palace of Westminster is procured – whether for the purpose of the longer-term Restoration and Renewal Programme, the Medium Term Investment Plan, or otherwise:

  1. is shaped by objectives specified in an Outline Business Case produced in accordance with the Treasury Green Book Five Case model;
  2. is resolved by a contract awarded through an open and competitive tender procedure that is compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015;
  3. takes into consideration whether compliant collaborative procurement options, where available, are a viable option according to the scope of the work;
  4. includes a specification and range of award criteria which are representative of, and will be capable of realising, the value-for-money objectives determined by the respective Outline Business Case;
  5. may be considered within a higher level Gateway Review Assurance process where considered appropriate.


The default position in the Houses’ Procurement Policy is to set evaluation criteria weightings of 70% for price and 30% for quality. We expect these ratios to be applied when procuring repair and renovation works. The House Procurement Policy goes on to provide a waiver process by which a justification and recommendation can be made to vary these weightings according to circumstances and value-for-money considerations specific to a given procurement. A contract that looks to transfer a higher level of responsibility and liability for design to the contractor is a common example of where the balance in weighting may be moved towards quality as a consequence of a waiver application.

The need for repairs is determined with reference to a number of factors: condition surveys of the Estate; an annual exercise to prioritise the portfolio of projects; inspections carried out on a quadrennial basis; advice from the House’s Design Authority; and calls to the PED Helpdesk. In particular:

  1. A comprehensive condition survey of the Estate was carried out in 2008/09, the results of which fed into a 25-year plan. This survey identified a significant number of defects, the works for which were all priced and given recommended completion dates. These tasks were then packaged minor or major projects and added to the scope of existing works within the 25-year plan.
  2. Following on from this comprehensive survey, there is a rolling programme of condition surveys every two years, which similarly identifies defects and further work.
  3. An annual exercise is undertaken by senior managers, including the Director General of Facilities and the Finance Director, to assess and prioritise the portfolio of projects in order to inform the Medium Term Investment Plan for the following four-year period. Projects are prioritised, taking the following factors into account:
  • compliance with legislative or contractual requirements;
  • business objectives;
  • mitigation of the risk of failure to services;
  • conservation of the fabric of the buildings.


The Medium Term Investment Plan is then considered by the Finance Committee before being approved by the House of Commons Commission.

  1. The Palace of Westminster is a Grade 1 listed building, and PED follows best practice by ensuring that an inspection is carried out every four years by the Conservation and Architectural Team. These inspections identify tasks which should be carried out to ensure the fabric of the building is maintained properly.
  2. The PED Design Authority, established in 2011, is committed to “ensure consistent standards, value for money, statutory compliance and user satisfaction”. Practically, it concentrates on the lifecycle of the engineering assets, ensuring that initial and replacement capital costs are balanced with the ongoing operating and maintenance costs, and with identified business needs. It acts as a Central Engineering department, and advises on the requirements for works and systems and services across the Parliamentary Estate.
  3. PED has a helpdesk system which receives and handles building faults reported by Members, Members’ staff, and staff of the House. These faults are prioritised according to service level agreements.


The Director General of Facilities would be happy to brief the hon. Member in more detail, should he wish.

20th Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, which (a) Minister or (b) official initiated discussions with Public First on the focus group contract.

Further to my answer on 01 October 2020, competitive tenders are used across government, including by the Cabinet Office. It is also the case that there are certain circumstances where regulations permit that contracts can be awarded without a competition, including where there is extreme urgency.

As has been the case under successive administrations, this Government works with a number of suppliers to provide polling and focus group work. Public First was engaged by the Cabinet Office to test public opinion and reaction to government messaging, including focus groups for COVID-19 research. Details of this contract have been published on GOV.UK in the usual way.

No ministerial sign off was sought for the award of a contract to Public First. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on GOV.UK.

A claim for Judicial Review was issued by the High Court on 10 July 2020 in relation to the award of this contract. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to make further comment whilst this is subject to ongoing legal proceedings.

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
20th Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he met with representatives from Public First in the six months prior to the award of the focus group contract to that company.

Further to my answer on 01 October 2020, competitive tenders are used across government, including by the Cabinet Office. It is also the case that there are certain circumstances where regulations permit that contracts can be awarded without a competition, including where there is extreme urgency.

As has been the case under successive administrations, this Government works with a number of suppliers to provide polling and focus group work. Public First was engaged by the Cabinet Office to test public opinion and reaction to government messaging, including focus groups for COVID-19 research. Details of this contract have been published on GOV.UK in the usual way.

No ministerial sign off was sought for the award of a contract to Public First. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on GOV.UK.

A claim for Judicial Review was issued by the High Court on 10 July 2020 in relation to the award of this contract. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to make further comment whilst this is subject to ongoing legal proceedings.

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
20th Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what date the contract for focus group work was awarded to Public First.

Further to my answer on 01 October 2020, competitive tenders are used across government, including by the Cabinet Office. It is also the case that there are certain circumstances where regulations permit that contracts can be awarded without a competition, including where there is extreme urgency.

As has been the case under successive administrations, this Government works with a number of suppliers to provide polling and focus group work. Public First was engaged by the Cabinet Office to test public opinion and reaction to government messaging, including focus groups for COVID-19 research. Details of this contract have been published on GOV.UK in the usual way.

No ministerial sign off was sought for the award of a contract to Public First. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on GOV.UK.

A claim for Judicial Review was issued by the High Court on 10 July 2020 in relation to the award of this contract. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to make further comment whilst this is subject to ongoing legal proceedings.

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
20th Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Ministerial sign off was required for the award of the focus group contract to Public First.

Further to my answer on 01 October 2020, competitive tenders are used across government, including by the Cabinet Office. It is also the case that there are certain circumstances where regulations permit that contracts can be awarded without a competition, including where there is extreme urgency.

As has been the case under successive administrations, this Government works with a number of suppliers to provide polling and focus group work. Public First was engaged by the Cabinet Office to test public opinion and reaction to government messaging, including focus groups for COVID-19 research. Details of this contract have been published on GOV.UK in the usual way.

No ministerial sign off was sought for the award of a contract to Public First. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on GOV.UK.

A claim for Judicial Review was issued by the High Court on 10 July 2020 in relation to the award of this contract. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to make further comment whilst this is subject to ongoing legal proceedings.

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
20th Jul 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish all documentation, emails and correspondence relating to the award of the focus group contract to Public First.

Further to the answer given by the Paymaster General on 16 July 2020, Public First was engaged by the Cabinet Office to test public opinion and reaction to government messaging including focus groups for COVID-19 research. This work has helped to understand public attitudes and behaviours to inform our vitally important public health messages and policies, and has enabled us to deliver a strong, national, cross-government communications campaign to support the UK’s response and recovery from the pandemic.

In the discharge of this activity it was necessary for Public First to meet with civil servants to report on the findings of the focus groups. Public First also provided on-site resource to support Number 10 communications. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. Any Government announcements will be made in the usual way.

Cabinet Office publishes expenditure, including on research, on a rolling monthly basis, and details of its contracts on GOV.UK as part of routine government transparency arrangements. GOV COMMS EU EXIT PROG and EU EXIT COMMS were existing cost codes used to pay invoices relating to COVID-19 research within a reasonable period of time. These payments were subsequently journaled over to the COVID-19 cost centre once that was created.

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
20th Jul 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the value was of each of the last 15 focus group contracts procured by the Government.

Further to the answer given by the Paymaster General on 16 July 2020, Public First was engaged by the Cabinet Office to test public opinion and reaction to government messaging including focus groups for COVID-19 research. This work has helped to understand public attitudes and behaviours to inform our vitally important public health messages and policies, and has enabled us to deliver a strong, national, cross-government communications campaign to support the UK’s response and recovery from the pandemic.

In the discharge of this activity it was necessary for Public First to meet with civil servants to report on the findings of the focus groups. Public First also provided on-site resource to support Number 10 communications. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. Any Government announcements will be made in the usual way.

Cabinet Office publishes expenditure, including on research, on a rolling monthly basis, and details of its contracts on GOV.UK as part of routine government transparency arrangements. GOV COMMS EU EXIT PROG and EU EXIT COMMS were existing cost codes used to pay invoices relating to COVID-19 research within a reasonable period of time. These payments were subsequently journaled over to the COVID-19 cost centre once that was created.

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
20th Jul 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister or any of his advisors have met with representatives of Public First in the last 12 months.

Further to the answer given by the Paymaster General on 16 July 2020, Public First was engaged by the Cabinet Office to test public opinion and reaction to government messaging including focus groups for COVID-19 research. This work has helped to understand public attitudes and behaviours to inform our vitally important public health messages and policies, and has enabled us to deliver a strong, national, cross-government communications campaign to support the UK’s response and recovery from the pandemic.

In the discharge of this activity it was necessary for Public First to meet with civil servants to report on the findings of the focus groups. Public First also provided on-site resource to support Number 10 communications. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. Any Government announcements will be made in the usual way.

Cabinet Office publishes expenditure, including on research, on a rolling monthly basis, and details of its contracts on GOV.UK as part of routine government transparency arrangements. GOV COMMS EU EXIT PROG and EU EXIT COMMS were existing cost codes used to pay invoices relating to COVID-19 research within a reasonable period of time. These payments were subsequently journaled over to the COVID-19 cost centre once that was created.

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
20th Jul 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) the Prime Minister and (b) his advisors were involved in the procurement of the focus group contract awarded to Public First.

Further to the answer given by the Paymaster General on 16 July 2020, Public First was engaged by the Cabinet Office to test public opinion and reaction to government messaging including focus groups for COVID-19 research. This work has helped to understand public attitudes and behaviours to inform our vitally important public health messages and policies, and has enabled us to deliver a strong, national, cross-government communications campaign to support the UK’s response and recovery from the pandemic.

In the discharge of this activity it was necessary for Public First to meet with civil servants to report on the findings of the focus groups. Public First also provided on-site resource to support Number 10 communications. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. Any Government announcements will be made in the usual way.

Cabinet Office publishes expenditure, including on research, on a rolling monthly basis, and details of its contracts on GOV.UK as part of routine government transparency arrangements. GOV COMMS EU EXIT PROG and EU EXIT COMMS were existing cost codes used to pay invoices relating to COVID-19 research within a reasonable period of time. These payments were subsequently journaled over to the COVID-19 cost centre once that was created.

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
20th Jul 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) the Prime Minister and (b) any of his advisors were required to sign off the award of the focus group contract to Public First.

Further to the answer given by the Paymaster General on 16 July 2020, Public First was engaged by the Cabinet Office to test public opinion and reaction to government messaging including focus groups for COVID-19 research. This work has helped to understand public attitudes and behaviours to inform our vitally important public health messages and policies, and has enabled us to deliver a strong, national, cross-government communications campaign to support the UK’s response and recovery from the pandemic.

In the discharge of this activity it was necessary for Public First to meet with civil servants to report on the findings of the focus groups. Public First also provided on-site resource to support Number 10 communications. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. Any Government announcements will be made in the usual way.

Cabinet Office publishes expenditure, including on research, on a rolling monthly basis, and details of its contracts on GOV.UK as part of routine government transparency arrangements. GOV COMMS EU EXIT PROG and EU EXIT COMMS were existing cost codes used to pay invoices relating to COVID-19 research within a reasonable period of time. These payments were subsequently journaled over to the COVID-19 cost centre once that was created.

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
20th Jul 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many contracts his Department has awarded for focus group work in the last two years; what the value was of each of those contracts; and to which companies those contracts were awarded.

Further to my answer on 01 October 2020, competitive tenders are used across government, including by the Cabinet Office. It is also the case that there are certain circumstances where regulations permit that contracts can be awarded without a competition, including where there is extreme urgency.

As has been the case under successive administrations, this Government works with a number of suppliers to provide polling and focus group work. Public First was engaged by the Cabinet Office to test public opinion and reaction to government messaging, including focus groups for COVID-19 research. Details of this contract have been published on GOV.UK in the usual way.

No ministerial sign off was sought for the award of a contract to Public First. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on GOV.UK.

A claim for Judicial Review was issued by the High Court on 10 July 2020 in relation to the award of this contract. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to make further comment whilst this is subject to ongoing legal proceedings.

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
18th Jun 2015
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent representations he has received on the decision of Lord Lyon to prevent Airdrieonians Football Club from using its current badge; and if he will make a statement.

The Minister for the Cabinet Office has received no such representations. This issue concerns the Lord Lyon King of Arms in his judicial capacity and is therefore a devolved matter.

17th Jun 2015
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will review the operation of the Lord Lyon King of Arms Act 1592 in respect of the restrictions it places on the registration of certain types of badge or crest.

The Minister for the Cabinet Office has received no such representations. This issue concerns the Lord Lyon King of Arms in his judicial capacity and is therefore a devolved matter.

19th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to maximise uptake of the Warm Home Scheme among pensioners eligible for Pension Credit but not yet claiming that benefit.

Under the Warm Home Discount, obligated energy suppliers can spend a maximum of £40 million on Industry Initiatives. This includes a range of activities that offer support to customers who are at greater risk of fuel poverty, particularly those not on benefits who may not be eligible for a £140 rebate. Support provided under Industry Initiatives includes benefit entitlement checks and referrals for rebates, as well as energy saving advice, energy debt assistance and fuel vouchers.

The Government’s Warm Home Discount website is widely signposted and used by consumer groups, charities and energy comparison websites to raise awareness of the benefits of signing up for Pension Credit Guarantee Credit and maximise uptake of the Warm Home Scheme.

9th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's oral contribution of 8 July 2020, Official Report column 976, what estimate he has made of the number of people on low incomes that will benefit from the green homes grant scheme to fund energy efficiency measures of up to £10,000 per household.

We estimate that more than 600,000 homes overall will receive measures through the scheme. The scheme is demand led and is expected to support a significant number of low income households.

9th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the summer economic update, if he will provide a breakdown of the allocation of £50 million into the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and its demonstrator project.

The manifesto committed to improving people’s homes, to accelerate our progress towards net zero emissions by 2050 and to help families reduce their energy bills. This commitment included the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund with £3.8bn over a ten-year period and the £50m demonstrator fund is a down payment on the £3.8bn.

The Summer Economic Update announced £50m to demonstrate innovative approaches to retrofitting social housing at scale, accelerating the delivery of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund envisaged by the manifesto. This will mean warmer and more energy efficient homes and could reduce annual energy bills by hundreds of pounds for some of the poorest households in society, as well as lowering carbon emissions. The programme will be UK-wide and funding will be allocated competitively.

The Government remains committed to decarbonising buildings to keep us on track to reach net zero emissions by 2050. This demonstrator project is a short-term investment to learn lessons and innovate for the main scheme, allocations for which will be determined at the forthcoming Spending Review in the Autumn.

6th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plan he has to hold discussions with (a) employers and (b) employees on their (i) concerns and (ii) ideas on (A) recovery and (B) support for businesses as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has heard the views of individuals from large businesses, entrepreneurial companies, venture capitalists, trade bodies, academia and the third sector in a series of recent meetings. These were organised around five themes: green recovery; increasing opportunity; backing new businesses; the future of industry; and the UK open for business. This is part of an intensive programme of engagement to inform the Government’s approach to economic recovery. The department will continue to engage with stakeholders across all sectors as it works towards a clean, resilient recovery, shaping recovery and business support policy to reflect the needs of employers and employees.

5th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a furlough appeals process for employees to challenge the decision of their employer.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is designed to help employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) to retain their employees and protect the UK economy. The scheme is not an employment right and it is up to the employer to decide who to furlough.

However, employers should discuss furlough with their staff and make any changes to their employment contract by agreement. When employers make decisions in relation to the process – including deciding who to offer furlough to – equality and discrimination laws will apply in the usual way.

Where employees believe employment law has been broken, they should first contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas). Acas provides free and impartial information and advice to individuals on all aspects of workplace relations and employment law. If the issue cannot be resolved through Acas’ conciliation services, employees can make a claim to an employment tribunal.

13th Apr 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 21 December 2017 to Question 120003 on Home Energy and Lifestyle Management, how many photovoltaics installations through Green Deal plans provided by Home Energy Lifestyle Management Systems were undertaken in Airdrie and Shotts Constituency.

Since the start of the Green Deal, 75 photovoltaics installations were undertaken in Airdrie and Shotts constituency through Green Deal plans provided by Home Energy Lifestyle Management Systems.

10th Oct 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what definition his Department uses of (a) flexible worker and (b) flexible working.

The GOV.UK website describes different ways of working flexibly. This includes: job sharing; working from home; part time; compressed hours; flexitime; annualised hours; staggered hours; and phased retirement.

13th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what safeguards his Department has put in place to protect people employed on flexible contracts from exploitation by their employers.

The availability of atypical employment provides a number of benefits for workers who cannot or do not want to commit to ‘standard’ full-time employment. This results in high participation rates among groups which might otherwise be excluded from work altogether, like mothers returning to work.

The UK’s flexible labour market means those who work in flexible arrangements continue to be entitled to employment protections regardless of the contract type. But we recognise that there are instances where the UK labour market is not working fairly for everyone and is why we asked Matthew Taylor to carry out his independent Review of Working Practices. Our full response later this year will reflect Government’s position and next steps.

13th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what safeguards his Department has put in place to protect people employed on zero-hours contracts from exploitation by their employers.

This Government is clear that zero hours contracts should not be considered as an alternative to proper business planning or used as a permanent arrangement if it is not justifiable. They play a small but important part in the labour market, allowing flexibility for both employers and individuals. People on zero-hour contracts make up less than 3 per cent of the workforce and almost 70 per cent are happy with the number of hours they work, according to the latest ONS Labour Force Survey research (March 2015).

In May 2015 Government banned the use of exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts so that people cannot be prevented from looking for or working elsewhere when their employer does not guarantee work.

Matthew Taylor in his Review of Modern Working Practices has proposed some reforms around zero-hour contracts and Government will consider the whole report carefully and make a full response later this year.

30th Jan 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what financial support his Department has made available in 2016-17 to assist employers supporting disabled people.

The Department for Work and Pension’s (DWP) Access to Work scheme provides financial awards to disabled people in order to fund additional support above the level of an employer’s statutory duty to make reasonable adjustments. This supports disabled people to retain work or take up new opportunities, but does not replace employers’ duties under the Equality Act 2010.

In addition, Disability Confident supports this Government’s commitment to halve the employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people by engaging with employers, who have a crucial role to play in ensuring disabled people are recruited, retained and developed in their careers. The scheme gives employers the opportunity to assess how Disability Confident their business is and sign up at one of three levels. They complete each level before moving on to the next.

DWP is currently trialling a Small Employer Offer, which provides small employers with a personalised package of support, including adaptations and advice and a payment of £500 after three months when they take on new employees who have a health condition or disability.

30th Jan 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what provision he has made in his Department's industrial strategy for disabled people.

The industrial strategy green paper, Building our Industrial Strategy, is part of a consultative approach to developing our strategy and seeks views from organisations across the country, including disability organisations. I look forward to further engagement with them, building on engagement with my officials to date.

The Government is clear that the industrial strategy is part of our work to deliver an economy that works for everyone, including disabled people. In particular, the Government’s green paper Improving Lives – the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper considers how we can improve employment outcomes for disabled people. Many employers are already creating healthy, inclusive workplaces, but more needs to be done so that employers provide the support needed for employees with disabilities and long-term health conditions, to help them get into and stay in work.

The Improving Lives consultation closes on 17th February, and we will be working to ensure its outcomes are aligned with our industrial strategy.

30th Jan 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent meetings and discussions he has had with disability organisations on his Department's industrial strategy.

The industrial strategy green paper, Building our Industrial Strategy, is part of a consultative approach to developing our strategy and seeks views from organisations across the country, including disability organisations. I look forward to further engagement with them, building on engagement with my officials to date.

The Government is clear that the industrial strategy is part of our work to deliver an economy that works for everyone, including disabled people. In particular, the Government’s green paper Improving Lives – the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper considers how we can improve employment outcomes for disabled people. Many employers are already creating healthy, inclusive workplaces, but more needs to be done so that employers provide the support needed for employees with disabilities and long-term health conditions, to help them get into and stay in work.

The Improving Lives consultation closes on 17th February, and we will be working to ensure its outcomes are aligned with our industrial strategy.

3rd Jun 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what her policy is on making smart meters universally compatible for all energy suppliers.

Interoperability is one of the Government’s key requirements for the main installation stage of smart metering, which is due to commence later this year. The Government has already established common technical standards for the smart metering equipment (SMETS) and put in place the Data and Communications Company (DCC). This is responsible for setting up the nationwide communications infrastructure across Great Britain to send and receive information from any energy supplier to smart meters.

3rd Jun 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions she has had with Ofgem on the roll out of smart meters to homes across the UK.

DECC ministers and officials engage regularly with Ofgem, both bilaterally and as part of the Programme’s Transitional Governance Model arrangements, in line with our roles set out in the joint DECC/Ofgem open letter to the industry on the implementation of smart metering published in December 2014:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-implementation-and-regulation-of-smart-metering-a-joint-deccofgem-open-letter-to-the-industry.

22nd May 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government taking to ensure that people (a) in and (b) out work has the opportunity to have a holiday each year regardless of their income or personal circumstances.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to PQ 143186 on 15th May.

11th May 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps Government is taking to support social tourism initiatives throughout the UK.

The Government’s Arms Length Body, VisitEngland supports the work of the Family Holiday Association, a national charity dedicated to helping provide breaks and day trips at the British seaside for families who struggle to financially provide holidays for their family. They are also a member of England’s Inclusive Tourism Group which VisitEngland originally convened in 2015, which aim to provide access for all to tourism destinations and businesses.

VisitScotland have their own accessibility team which develop and support products to increase accessibility for visitors, however they do work in partnership with VisitEngland.

11th May 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions the Government has had with the tourism industry on helping families with low incomes take a holiday away from home.

VisitEngland work with and support the Family Holiday Association in their work to help make it easier for financially challenged families to take short breaks to the British seaside.

VisitEngland also provide resources for tourism businesses to help make themselves more accessible to all, be it from disability or financial disadvantage.

VisitScotland have their own accessibility team which develop and support products to increase accessibility for visitors, however they do work in partnership with VisitEngland.

11th May 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the value of social tourism to the UK (a) domestic tourism industry and (b) economy.

The department doesn’t hold information on the value of social tourism to the domestic tourism industry or the economy.

In 2016, as a whole, tourism accounts for £66.2bn of the UK’s GVA and approximately 1.5m jobs across the country. Scotland’s tourism sector accounted for £5.2bn of GVA in 2013 and approximately 280,000 jobs in 2014.

2nd Sep 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of National Lottery ticket sales revenues was (a) passed to the good causes funds and (b) spent on good causes in Scotland in each of the last 10 years.

The table below sets out the proportion of ticket sales going to Good Causes over the past ten years, and the percentage of total lottery funding allocated to Scottish distributors, as determined by legislation.

Year

Proportion of sales to Good Causes (%)

Proportion of total lottery funding to Scottish Distributors only (%)

06/07

25.4

2.8

07/08

25.3

2.8

08/09

25.2

2.8

09/10

26.8

2.8

10/11

26.7

2.8

11/12

26.2

3.1

12/13

25.3

3.4

13/14

23.4

3.4

14/15

22.9

3.4

15/16

23.5

3.4


The relationship between ticket sales and income generated for Good Causes depends on the mix of games sold, as each has a different percentage return to Good Causes.


In addition, good causes in Scotland receive funding from the four UK-wide distributors: British Film Institute, UK Sport, Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund. Each distributor takes account of a variety of considerations including geographical spread of funding, deprivation data and participation rates when determining priorities and allocating budget.


For example, up to 10 per cent of the Big Lottery Fund budget is top sliced for UK programmes. Scotland receives 11.5 per cent of the remaining budget. In 2016, the Big Lottery Fund gave grants of between £8,106 - £10,000 to projects in three primary schools in North Lanarkshire, as well a variety of organisations seeking to improve community well-being, including the Love n Light Recovery Organisation, Moira Anderson Foundation, Mornay Social Club, and Newmains Community Trust. Further details are available on the DCMS Lottery Grants Database at http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk/Search.aspx


The Heritage Lottery Fund’s open programmes are calculated on a per capita basis. Budgets for targeted programmes are not distributed on this basis, instead Scotland bids alongside the rest of the UK for access to those funds.

10th Sep 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what is the sum of money that has so far been reimbursed to the National Lottery Good Causes programme in Scotland for money used from that programme for funding the 2012 London Olympics.

Repayment of the additional £675m borrowed from the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) will start from the early 2020s.

In addition to this repayment, £69m was transferred to the NLDF from The Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund (OLDF) when it closed in January 2015, representing a share of the income from the sale of the Olympic Village. This adds to the £79 million (from savings in the Olympic Programme) which was transferred from the OLDF to the NLDF in July 2014. The OLDF funds are allocated in the usual proportions, as set out in legislation.

10th Sep 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of the monies from National Lottery ticket sales goes to the National Lottery Good Causes programme in Scotland.

Lottery funding shares are set out in legislation. Currently health, education, environment and charitable causes are apportioned 40%, Sport 20%, Arts 20% and Heritage 20% across the UK. Creative Scotland received 1.78% and sportscotland received 1.62% of overall lottery funding in 2014/15. In addition, Scottish good causes receive funding from the four UK-wide distributors: British Film Institute, UK Sport, Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund.

10th Sep 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to reimburse the National Lottery Good Causes programme in Scotland for the sum of money used from that programme for use in funding the 2012 London Olympics.

There is a robust commitment in place to pay back £675m to the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF). This funding was borrowed from the Fund in addition to the original contribution of £410m.

It is expected that the NLDF will start to receive funds from the early 2020s through land development and sales in the Olympic Park. Scottish good causes will benefit from their portion of this reimbursed funding.

10th Sep 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the sum of money received was from the National Lottery Good Causes programme in Scotland for use in funding the 2012 London Olympics.

All countries of the UK contributed to the funding of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The initial £410m National Lottery contribution, outlined in the Games bid, was supplemented with a further £675m borrowed as part of the increased Olympic budget. The total transfer from the National Lottery Distribution Fund was £1,085m.

An estimated £114m (taken from across both the £410m and £675m amounts) was the share given by Lottery programmes in Scotland. This includes amounts transferred from distributors operating wholly in Scotland, and notional amounts allocated to Scotland by UK-wide distributors.

9th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Prime Minister's recent announcement of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, whether he plans to extend the 30-hour childcare policy to single parents who have pre-school-aged children and are on universal credit and in training.

Childcare policy is a devolved matter and, as such, the free early education entitlements funded by the Department for Education are available only in England.

The aim of the 30 hours free childcare entitlement is to help eligible working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds in England with the cost of childcare and to enable them to work. In order to be eligible for this, parents must earn the equivalent of working at least 16 hours a week at National Minimum or Living Wage, or be in receipt of an eligible income-replacement benefit, such as the Employment and Support Allowance. Students that work in addition to their studies and meet these requirements are eligible for 30 hours of free childcare a week. Students that do not work and are not in receipt of a qualifying benefit are not eligible. There are no current plans to change this policy.

Students in England are, however, eligible for other forms of childcare support. All 3- and 4-year-olds in England are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare a week, regardless of whether or not their parents are working. Two year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds are also eligible for 15 hours of free childcare a week.

Other assistance with childcare costs for students in England include the childcare grant for parents in higher education undertaking a full-time undergraduate course. The amount payable is based on 85% of actual childcare costs up to a maximum of £174.22 a week for one child or £298.69 a week for students with 2 or more children.

The government also offers a Parents’ Learning Allowance for full-time undergraduate students with one or more dependent children. For the 2020-21 academic year students could receive up to £1,766 a year depending on household income.

For those in further education, Care to Learn provides childcare support and related travel costs to young parents aged under 20, so they can undertake education or training.

18th Jan 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department plans to spend the revenue raised in the 2016-17 financial year from the apprenticeship levy.

The apprenticeship levy comes into effect on 6 April 2017.

In 2017-18, the Department for Education has a budget of £2billion for apprenticeship training and assessment in England. This will support more and higher quality apprenticeships.