Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2024 to Question 8807 on Government Departments: Written Questions, whether her policy on Freedom of Information requests also applies to Environmental Information Regulation requests
Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Government’s policy on answers to Written Parliamentary Questions and Questions for Written Answer is set out in the Guide to Parliamentary Work (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work). The guidance contains no reference to Environmental Information Regulation requests. The Information Commissioner's Office provides guidance and resources for public authorities and the public about the Freedom of Information Act and the Environment Information Regulations, available online at ico.org.uk.
Asked by: Josh Fenton-Glynn (Labour - Calder Valley)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, how many social media accounts her Department operates; and how much her Department spent on social media (a) subscriptions and (b) advertisements on each social media platform in each of the last three years.
Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the response provided by the Cabinet Office (35133).
The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons currently operates three social media accounts, with no subscription or advertisement cost.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, whether their Department offers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers.
Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the response provided by the Cabinet Office (33179).
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, if she will take steps with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to ensure that written Parliamentary questions are answered on time.
Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Parliament has a right to hold Ministers to account. I have written to all members of Cabinet to remind Ministers of their responsibilities to provide helpful and timely responses to Members' PQs.
The Procedure Committee monitors individual department’s PQ performance and it recently published a report into performance in the 2023–24 Session (available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/8673/written-parliamentary-questions-departmental-performance-in-session-202324/publications/). I look forward to working with the Committee on this and other matters.
I encourage hon. Members to raise any specific issues they may have with myself and my office.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 5 February 2025, Official Report, column 742, on which topics the Government has offered Privy Council briefings to opposition Privy Councellors in the last 36 months.
Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
This information is not held centrally. It is for Government Ministers to determine when information is shared on Privy Council Terms, on a case by case basis, and in a manner appropriate and proportionate to the circumstances.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what steps she is taking to provide parliamentary scrutiny of Government involvement in amendments to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill by hon. Members not on the bill committee.
Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
While the Government have a neutral position on the principles of the Bill, we have a responsibility to ensure that any Bill passed by the House is workable and operable. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was passed by the House at Second Reading, and the Government has therefore been in discussion with the Member in charge about the Bill’s deliverability and the overall coherence of the statute book.
The Member in charge has tabled amendments based on these discussions. It is for the Committee to decide whether to accept each amendment. As with any Public Bill Committee, any Member can table amendments to the Bill during the Committee’s consideration, and Members not appointed to the Committee are free to observe the Committee’s proceedings (although only Members of the Committee can speak or move tabled amendments). Following the Committee stage, the whole House will have a further opportunity to scrutinise the Bill at Report stage.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 23890 on Government Bills: Impact Assessments, whether her letter to Cabinet colleagues made reference to the publication of impact assessments before the First Reading of bills.
Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
It is a long-established precedent that internal government correspondence is not normally shared publicly.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2025 to Question 24243 on Government Departments: Written Questions, if she will publish that letter.
Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
It is a long-established precedent that internal government correspondence is not normally shared publicly.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, if she will provide guidance to Departments on ensuring that documentation referred to in written parliamentary questions is deposited in the Library.
Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
It is important that Members receive full and helpful responses to parliamentary questions. As set out in the Guide to Parliamentary Work (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work), when referring to public documents departments should “include the relevant extracts in your written response as well as the relevant hyperlink”.
We believe that publishing the relevant extract and link is the most effective and appropriate way to make such information available.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2025 to Question 21347 on Conditions of Employment, if she will ensure that answers to written parliamentary questions provide relevant hyperlinks.
Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
It is important that Members receive full and helpful responses to parliamentary questions.
The Guide to Parliamentary Work (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work), published by my office, states that “if referring to documents in the public domain, you should include the relevant extracts in your written response as well as the relevant hyperlink”.
I take these matters seriously and have raised this particular question with the Cabinet Office to ensure the link is sent to the Hon. Members for Bridlington and The Wolds and for Brentwood and Ongar at the earliest opportunity.