Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill and the Wellbeing of Future Generations (No.2) Bill are both Private Members’ Bills that are currently progressing through the House of Commons.
The Government remains committed to developing the incorporation of long-term thinking in its policy development and has multiple items of existing legislation that facilitates this, but has reservations about the broad scope of these bills. Consultations or impact assessments are not carried out for Private Members’ Bills that the Government does not intend to support.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill on future living standards in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill and the Wellbeing of Future Generations (No.2) Bill are both Private Members’ Bills that are currently progressing through the House of Commons.
The Government remains committed to developing the incorporation of long-term thinking in its policy development and has multiple items of existing legislation that facilitates this, but has reservations about the broad scope of these bills. Consultations or impact assessments are not carried out for Private Members’ Bills that the Government does not intend to support.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants in his Department have developed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of workplace bullying or harassment in each year from 2010-11.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Cabinet Office does not hold metrics that specifically identify Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of workplace bullying or harassment. The department has not received or maintained any formal diagnosis of civil servants with PTSD.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants in his Department have received counselling as a result of workplace bullying or harassment in each year from 2010-11.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Counselling provision through the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider is completely confidential and anonymised. Cabinet Office does not, therefore, hold data or details relating to the counselling that Civil Servants may receive.
Furthermore, there are no metrics for onward referral or utilisation of counselling services following workplace bullying or harassment as this would break GDPR and employee confidentiality.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of his Department's process for handling allegations of racial discrimination; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michael Ellis
A ‘Respect and Inclusion review’ for the Cabinet Office is currently underway. In the recent Declaration on Government reform, Ministers and Permanent Secretaries committed to set a new standard for diversity and inclusion, including guaranteeing fairness at work and zero tolerance for Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination. Our position at the centre of government - delivering against an ambitious agenda - means we have a responsibility to get this right. The review will have a particular focus on race and disability where our data shows scope for improvement.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of managers within his Department and its arms-length bodies have completed equalities training within the last (a) 12 months, (b) 24 months and (c) 36 months.
Answered by Michael Ellis
As with other Government departments, Cabinet Office (CO) utilises the Civil Service Learning (CSL) offer for all of its mandatory learning. This includes the training package, ‘Inclusion in the Civil Service’, which all Cabinet Office staff are expected to complete on an annual basis.
In early 2021, ‘Inclusion in the Civil Service’ replaced the CSL’s previous package, ‘Diversity and Inclusion 2019’, following the Chief People Officer Rupert McNeil’s instructions in late 2020 for all Civil Service departments to withdraw any learning that included reference to unconscious bias training. As such, we can advise that around 25% of CO colleagues completed ‘Inclusion in the Civil Service’ in the year 2021.
It is worth noting that as part of the CO’s move to continue to improve and enhance the department’s L&D offer across 2022/2023, we will be working closely with colleagues in Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) to review all CO mandatory learning, as well as introducing a new process to help capture completion rates of mandatory learning, as the current CSL system does not allow for this.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how often managers within his Department and its arms-length bodies are expected to undertake equalities training.
Answered by Michael Ellis
As with other Government departments, Cabinet Office (CO) utilises the Civil Service Learning (CSL) offer for all of its mandatory learning. This includes the training package, ‘Inclusion in the Civil Service’, which all Cabinet Office staff are expected to complete on an annual basis.
In early 2021, ‘Inclusion in the Civil Service’ replaced the CSL’s previous package, ‘Diversity and Inclusion 2019’, following the Chief People Officer Rupert McNeil’s instructions in late 2020 for all Civil Service departments to withdraw any learning that included reference to unconscious bias training. As such, we can advise that around 25% of CO colleagues completed ‘Inclusion in the Civil Service’ in the year 2021.
It is worth noting that as part of the CO’s move to continue to improve and enhance the department’s L&D offer across 2022/2023, we will be working closely with colleagues in Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) to review all CO mandatory learning, as well as introducing a new process to help capture completion rates of mandatory learning, as the current CSL system does not allow for this.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the oral answers of the Paymaster General on 7 February 2022, whether he will have authority in his capacity as Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister to direct (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is a Minister of the Crown and will have all the attendant powers and functions of a Minister of the Crown, including the authority to direct civil servants and special advisers in the normal way.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the oral answers of the Paymaster General on 7 February 2022, who will be responsible for appointing staff to the new Office of the Prime Minister; and what plans he has for staff of that department to be (a) special advisers and (b) officials.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Appointments will be made in accordance with the requirements of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department’s human resources policies and practices were last reviewed.
Answered by Michael Ellis
In line with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), equality impact assessments are carried out for all new and reviewed Cabinet Office HR Policies and guidance. Most Cabinet Office HR policies are updated in line with cross government CSHR model policy which undergoes rigorous equality impact assessments.
Cabinet Office HR policies are continuously under review and generally updated in line with the Department’s strategic priorities, changes to legislation, user feedback and changes to cross government model policy from CSHR.