Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the consultation, COVID-status Certification Review - call for evidence, published on 15 March 2021, whether that review will include legal advice on whether the use of such certification will be compatible with the Equality Act 2010; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ171522 on 23 March 2021.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's consultation, COVID-Status Certification Review - Call for evidence, published on 15 March 2021, if he will publish a representative sample of the evidence that informs the outcome of that review.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ171522 on 23 March 2021.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's consultation, COVID-Status Certification Review - Call for evidence, published on 15 March 2021, how that consultation will make an assessment of the effect of the (a) covid-19 vaccine rollout and (b) high efficacy of the covid-19 vaccines; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ171522 on 23 March 2021.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure peer review of the methods and independent verification of the results of ONS estimates of covid-19 cases.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent steps he has taken to improve the quality of data on covid-19 deaths both inside and outside of hospitals with respect to identifying for whom covid-19 was (a) the cause of death, (b) a cofactor and (c) a nosocomial infection; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the preparedness of the UK border for the end of the EU Withdrawal Agreement Implementation Period on 31 December 2020; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Cabinet Office ministers - and in particular the Minister for the Cabinet Office, me as Paymaster General, and Lord True, frequently discuss matters relating to border preparedness with Cabinet and ministerial colleagues, including at the relevant Cabinet Committees which are Exit Operations (XO) and Exit Strategy (XS). In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.
The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK is ready for the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, and for seizing the opportunities of leaving the Single Market and EU Customs Union at that point. Work on border preparedness takes places across Government, including ministers and officials from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for International Trade, and UK Border Force.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the process is for an independent Scotland to (a) secede from the UK and (b) accede to the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Scotland had an independence referendum in 2014 which was legal, fair and decisive. People in Scotland voted by a significant margin to remain part of the UK on a promise this was a “once in a generation” vote. The UK Government is committed to respecting and upholding that result.
Now that the UK Government has delivered on the democratic decision to leave the EU, this Government will ensure that 2020 is a year of growth and opportunity for Scotland and the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) CBI, (b) Institute of Directors and (c) EEF on the Government's White Paper on the UK's future relationship with the EU, Cm 9593.
Answered by David Lidington
I have regular engagement with business and industry leaders to discuss a number of issues, including the UK's exit from the European Union.
Ministers and officials from my Department and across Government continue to engage broadly across all sectors and across the UK to hear the business’ priorities and issues relating to our exit.
Business leaders, including the CBI and Institute of Directors, met with the Secretary of State and all the ministers in DExEU to discuss the proposals made in the White Paper at Chevening House on 20 July.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff of each grade work in the Cabinet Office Europe Unit.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The table below sets out the number of staff working at each grade in the Cabinet Office Europe Unit at 25th July 2018:
Grade | Headcount |
Permanent Secretary | 1 |
SCS2 (Director level) | 2 |
SCS1 (Deputy Director level) | 6 |
Band A (CS Grade 7) | 12 |
Band B2 (CS Grade Higher Executive Officer/Senior Executive Officer) | 5 |
Band B1 (CS Grade Executive Officer) | 6 |
Total | 32 |
As announced in the written statement 'Machinery of Government Change’ (24 July 2018), a limited number of staff will be transferring from the Department for Exiting the European Union to the Cabinet Office Europe Unit.