Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Government form Security check / counter terrorist check questionnaire: NSV001, what definitions the Government uses for (a) overthrowing and (b) undermining parliamentary democracy; and what criteria the Government uses to determine those actions.
Answered by Oliver Dowden
For National Security Vetting purposes, Government policy does not define the terms ‘overthrowing’ or ‘undermining’ in any manner more explicit than the terms already indicate. The question asked of vetting candidates refers to ‘political, industrial or violent means’ and this offers context for prospective candidates to understand what types of activities are being referred to.
There are too many hypothetical examples for a comprehensive list to be feasible. Each candidate is assessed on a case by case basis, giving due regard to the guidance offered by the classified Vetting Decision Framework. Where candidates disclose a potentially adverse association of any kind, assessment of their suitability to hold a security clearance will take into account:
the nature and closeness of the association in question;
the self-stated or privately stated aims of individuals or organisations that wish to replace the United Kingdom’s current parliamentary political system; and
the assessments of relevant agencies involved in investigating or monitoring such individuals or organisations.
An example of ‘undermining parliamentary democracy’ would be if the vetting candidate disclosed that a family member had historic links to violent extremist groups.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
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 24 September 2019 to Question 290332 on Department of Health and Social Care: Energy Supply, whether the criteria used by Crown Commercial Services to select an energy supplier for Government Departments and public bodies includes an assessment of the environmental policies of a supplier; and what recent steps Crown Commercial Services has taken to reduce CO2 emissions from energy use in the (a) supply of and (b) demand for energy.
Answered by Lord Hart of Tenby
It is a requirement of Crown Commercial Services commercial arrangements that energy suppliers must comply with environmental policy, such as the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) and Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR).
All Government Departments and public bodies can access commercial solutions managed by the Crown Commercial Service for advice, support and efficiency solutions that will drive savings through energy reduction and thereby reduce their CO2 emissions.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether there have been any changes to the Ministerial Code of Conduct since July 2019.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Responsibility for the Ministerial Code rests with the Prime Minister. The Ministerial Code sets out the standards of propriety and behaviour expected of all Ministers and was updated and re-issued by the Prime Minister on 23 August.
The updated Code includes a new section setting out the policy for ministers taking parental leave and other extended absences from Government, as well as a number of updates, including obligations related to Cabinet confidentiality and the acceptance of foreign decorations.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish an updated List of Ministerial Responsibilities online.
Answered by Kevin Foster
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to PQ286680 9 September 2019
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers are required to declare whether they have ever been involved in actions intended to overthrow or undermine Parliamentary democracy by political, industrial or violent means in order to gain (i) employment and (ii) security clearance.
Answered by Kevin Foster
All civil servants and special advisers who are subject to National Security Vetting are asked the following three questions as part of the clearance process:
“Have you ever been involved in actions intended to overthrow or undermine Parliamentary democracy by political, industrial or violent means?”
“Have you ever been a member of, or supported, a group or groups involved in any of the above activities?”
“Have you ever had a close association with anyone, including a member of your family, who, to your knowledge, has been a member of or given active support to any such group or activities?”
National Security Vetting is a prerequisite for employment in a large subset of Civil Service roles, including sensitive posts and special advisers. For less sensitive roles that do not require vetting, these assurances are not asked of prospective candidates.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will sign his Department up to the UK Steel charter.
Answered by Oliver Dowden
The Government is working hard to make sure that UK producers of steel have the best possible chance of competing for contracts.
In 2015, we introduced the steel procurement guidelines (Procurement Policy Note 16/15, revised in 2016) to level the playing field for UK steel producers by requiring public authorities to include wider social and economic benefits in their procurement decisions, not just price. This means UK firms can compete more effectively with international suppliers for major projects.
However, the Cabinet Office itself does not buy steel and consequently we will not be signing the UK Steel Charter.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has had discussions with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the UK Steel charter.
Answered by Oliver Dowden
We have regular discussions about the procurement of steel with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which has asked all government departments to consider guidance on steel procurement and to notify of any upcoming opportunities for industry.
More broadly, the government is committed to supporting the steel sector to realise the broader commercial opportunities that are open to it, which could be worth an additional £3.8 billion a year by 2030. We are establishing the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund – backed by up to £315m of investment – to help businesses with high energy use (including steel companies) to cut their bills and transition UK industry to a low carbon future.
We are also providing up to £66m through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to help steel and other foundation industries develop radical new technologies.