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Written Question
Government Departments: Land
Monday 11th September 2023

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department’s Guide for the Disposal of Surplus Land, published March 2017, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of that guidance; and what assessment he has made of the impact of that guidance on (a) the development of sites and (b) NHS services.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A Guide for the Disposal of Surplus Land, published March 2017, was withdrawn in June 2021. By then it was assessed as inadequate: it had out-of-date references and no longer reflected current government policy.

Subsequent government reports assessed delivery on the two primary targets for housing land and capital receipts. These showed the release of government-owned sites for redevelopment continued to make progress, and the receipts target was fully met. Land releases included NHS sites, for which an assessment of impact would routinely be made prior to release.

There are no plans at present to assess the adequacy of the 2017 guidance. Revised guidance will take account of property market and construction sector situations as well as social value and the three missions of the Government Property Strategy 2022-2030, including a ‘smaller, better, greener’ government estate.


Written Question
Government Departments: Land
Monday 11th September 2023

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Guide for the Disposal of Surplus Land, published by his Department in March 2017, in the context of trends in the level of growth in the construction industry.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A Guide for the Disposal of Surplus Land, published March 2017, was withdrawn in June 2021. By then it was assessed as inadequate: it had out-of-date references and no longer reflected current government policy.

Subsequent government reports assessed delivery on the two primary targets for housing land and capital receipts. These showed the release of government-owned sites for redevelopment continued to make progress, and the receipts target was fully met. Land releases included NHS sites, for which an assessment of impact would routinely be made prior to release.

There are no plans at present to assess the adequacy of the 2017 guidance. Revised guidance will take account of property market and construction sector situations as well as social value and the three missions of the Government Property Strategy 2022-2030, including a ‘smaller, better, greener’ government estate.


Written Question
Government Departments: Land
Tuesday 18th July 2023

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the average time it takes each Government Department to dispose of land; and whether he is taking steps to help reduce this.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Average disposal times for land sales are not centrally collected. These will vary depending on the nature of the land being sold. The Government Property Strategy commits to a smaller, better, greener estate, including raising £500m a year from disposals. Selling land expediently will help departments to meet this commitment.


Written Question
Land: Public Sector
Thursday 13th July 2023

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to co-ordinate the use of public land for development.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Office of Government Property coordinates the development of public land through the One Public Estate (OPE) programme. This drives efficiencies by supporting opportunities for co-location, disposals, relocations, land assembly and multi-portfolio collaboration. OPE has recently been extended to include the Place Pilot initiative which brings together central and local government partners to review future estate needs and opportunities.

To date it has supported over 800 projects, spanning 98 per cent of English councils, helping transform local communities and public services right across the country. OPE partnerships have delivered 37,332 jobs, releasing land for 37,733 new homes, raising £593 million in capital receipts and cutting running costs by £119 million.

In addition, OPE delivers the £180m Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 (BLRF2) in conjunction with DLUHC. This awards funding to Local Authorities across England for land remediation of local authority owned brownfield sites ready for housing.


Written Question
Heart Diseases: Death
Tuesday 11th July 2023

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make a comparative assessment of trends in the level of heart attack deaths in (a) the UK, (b) EU countries, (c) the US and (d) other G7 countries.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon Lady's Parliamentary Question of 3 July 2023 is attached.


Written Question
Government Departments: Buildings and Land
Tuesday 4th July 2023

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to place conditions on the disposal of land and buildings by (a) NHS Property Services and (b) other Departments to require that the social value of its subsequent use is considered.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The disposal of land and buildings by all government bodies and agencies, including NHS Property Services, is governed by legislation and guidance from the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. In the guidance it is emphasised that property assets should be deployed in the public interest. The decision-making processes they describe, and the planning and policy framework within which decisions are taken, constitute the conditions under which social value is brought into consideration.


Written Question
Blood: Contamination
Friday 30th June 2023

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many ongoing contaminated blood cases there are in each parliamentary constituency.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

There is no readily available data on the number of cases of infected blood in each parliamentary constituency.

The Infected Blood Inquiry published a report from its Statistical Expert Group in September 2022, which provides findings on the numbers of infections with HIV, Hepatitis C virus, Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) disease and Hepatitis B. This is a useful insight into the scope of this tragedy and highlights the uncertainty associated with determining the figures of those infected.


Written Question
Bullying and Harassment
Thursday 9th February 2023

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on training for Ministers on bullying and harassment in the workplace.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

The Prime Minister’s expectations of Ministers are set out in the Ministerial Code, which makes clear that Ministers are expected to maintain high standards of behaviour and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety.

The Ministerial Code states that ‘Ministers should be professional in all their dealings and treat all those with whom they come into contact with consideration and respect. Working relationships, including with civil servants, ministerial and parliamentary colleagues and parliamentary staff should be proper and appropriate. Harassing, bullying or other inappropriate or discriminating behaviour wherever it takes place is not consistent with the Ministerial Code and will not be tolerated.’


Written Question
Government Departments: Bullying and Harassment
Thursday 9th February 2023

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that all those working in Government Departments receive training on bullying and harassment.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

There are model policies in place for use by departments on Dispute Resolution and Discipline, which cover all aspects of bullying and harassment, including processes for employees to follow to ensure that Civil Service managers and employees have the right advice and options available to them for raising their concerns, with signposting to the appropriate support. Our model guidance also includes a separate Sexual Harassment policy and guidance.

CSHR have provided guidance and training for investigations being carried out internally in departments to support departments to investigate all issues raised. Processes include specific advice and guidance relating to handling all disputes with specific advice on bullying and harassment complaints.

We provide materials for cross-departmental ‘Speak Up’ campaigns to encourage individuals to come forward to report poor behaviours.

The Civil Service Diversity & Inclusion Strategy 2022-2025 has specific actions to take in continuing to address bullying and harassment within the Civil Service:

(a) review progress made within departments on implementing the recommendations from the 2018 major review by Dame Sue Owen of the Civil Service arrangements for tackling bullying, harassment and discrimination; to identify what more we can do to continue to make progress

(b) develop our central policies around sexual harassment, safeguarding and domestic violence, building on those already in place, along with clear employee assistance routes to support victims.

Activity to deliver on those commitments has begun and is due to be completed within the lifetime of the strategy.

As part of the leadership and management curriculum as set out in Leading to Deliver: A Leadership and Management Prospectus, we are ensuring that inclusion is integral to the design, ensuring that it supports our objectives, setting clear expectations for all leaders and managers at all levels and providing managers with the skills to have challenging conversations and investigate if needed.

We have also recently developed a new course of Civil Service Expectations which sets out expectations of civil servants, covering Civil Service Values, the legislation and the support available for employees.


Written Question
Government Departments: Bullying and Harassment
Thursday 9th February 2023

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of policies to deal with bullying and harassment in Government departments.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

There are model policies in place for use by departments on Dispute Resolution and Discipline, which cover all aspects of bullying and harassment, including processes for employees to follow to ensure that Civil Service managers and employees have the right advice and options available to them for raising their concerns, with signposting to the appropriate support. Our model guidance also includes a separate Sexual Harassment policy and guidance.

CSHR have provided guidance and training for investigations being carried out internally in departments to support departments to investigate all issues raised. Processes include specific advice and guidance relating to handling all disputes with specific advice on bullying and harassment complaints.

We provide materials for cross-departmental ‘Speak Up’ campaigns to encourage individuals to come forward to report poor behaviours.

The Civil Service Diversity & Inclusion Strategy 2022-2025 has specific actions to take in continuing to address bullying and harassment within the Civil Service:

(a) review progress made within departments on implementing the recommendations from the 2018 major review by Dame Sue Owen of the Civil Service arrangements for tackling bullying, harassment and discrimination; to identify what more we can do to continue to make progress

(b) develop our central policies around sexual harassment, safeguarding and domestic violence, building on those already in place, along with clear employee assistance routes to support victims.

Activity to deliver on those commitments has begun and is due to be completed within the lifetime of the strategy.

As part of the leadership and management curriculum as set out in Leading to Deliver: A Leadership and Management Prospectus, we are ensuring that inclusion is integral to the design, ensuring that it supports our objectives, setting clear expectations for all leaders and managers at all levels and providing managers with the skills to have challenging conversations and investigate if needed.

We have also recently developed a new course of Civil Service Expectations which sets out expectations of civil servants, covering Civil Service Values, the legislation and the support available for employees.