Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have received any representations from allies at ministerial or ambassadorial level about specific boycotts undertaken by UK local authorities or other public bodies.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government is concerned by instances of local authorities and other public bodies pursuing boycotts and divestment activity. These campaigns can undermine community cohesion and are often inconsistent with UK Government foreign policy. Complete details of representations are not held centrally, but we are not aware of representations about specific boycotts from such sources.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ban Chinese-made electric cars from sensitive national infrastructure sites.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK takes the security and resilience of critical infrastructure seriously. Each Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sector has a Lead Government Department responsible for working with owners and operators to identify and mitigate risks to their sites. They are also supported by the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Protective Security Authority who provide expert advice and guidance to both public and private organisations to identify risks and vulnerabilities to the UK’s national infrastructure.
As set out in the Integrated Review Refresh, China under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses an epoch-defining challenge and an economic threat to a range of government policy areas, including CNI. The Government actively monitors threats to UK critical national infrastructure, and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary to protect sensitive assets where appropriate to protect national security.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total cost to date of the removal of Hikvision cameras from Whitehall departments; and what estimate they have made of the cost to local authorities of removing Hikvision cameras from local council buildings.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is a long-standing policy that the Government does not comment on security arrangements including the details of security systems. However, the UK takes national security extremely seriously and has taken robust action to secure and protect its national security infrastructure.
Following Royal Assent of the Procurement Act on 26 October 2023 the Government committed to publishing a timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment supplied by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of China from sensitive sites within six months. This timeline is due to be published by 26 April.
Sensitive sites were defined “as any building or complex that routinely holds secret material or above; any location that hosts a significant proportion of officials holding developed vetting clearance; any location which is routinely used by Ministers; and any government location covered under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.”
While local authorities may choose to follow the lead of central government in removing surveillance equipment they are under no obligation to do so. We encourage all organisations to follow NCSC supply chain security guidance when selecting a technology supplier. This guidance clearly sets the security standards that suppliers should meet and the considerations that organisations should be making during the procurement process.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the removal of restrictions on movement of human medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, as a result of the Windsor Framework, and subsequently agreed to by the EU, also covers the movement of medical vaccines for human usage.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Windsor Framework secured an unprecedented settlement for human medicines, ensuring that licensing of all medicines will happen on a UK-wide basis by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) from 1 January 2025. The same medicines, in the same packs and with the same labels, will be available across the United Kingdom.
This also applies to vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccines can therefore be moved between GB and NI without restrictions.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what restrictions, if any, exist for the movement of thawed COVID-19 vaccine products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland for commercial purposes as a consequence of provisions of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Windsor Framework secured an unprecedented settlement for human medicines, ensuring that licensing of all medicines will happen on a UK-wide basis by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) from 1 January 2025. The same medicines, in the same packs and with the same labels, will be available across the United Kingdom.
This also applies to vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccines can therefore be moved between GB and NI without restrictions.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to respond to the findings of the Inclusion at Work Panel report, published by the Cabinet Office, especially as it relates to diversity and inclusion interventions in Government departments.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Following the publication of this report on 20th March, the Civil Service will consider the recommendations as part of our strategic focus as outlined in the Civil Service Diversity & Inclusion Strategy, Civil Service People Plan and commitments to Government Reform.
The Civil Service Diversity & Inclusion Strategy, published in February 2022, places a focus on being data-driven, evidence-led and delivery focussed emphasising the need to take an evaluative approach.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the new EU law on protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products will be introduced in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework via Article 13(4)(a), following the applicability motion on 19 March which did not gain cross-community consent.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is welcome that the restoration of the devolved institutions allows for the exercise of the democratic scrutiny mechanisms that have been put in place. Following the applicability motion on 19 March, the duties under Schedule 6B of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 apply. The Government will determine and set out its approach to Parliament in the usual way, respecting the statutory framework in full.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations Ministers have received on the potential for appointing a deputy lieutenant for the county of Middlesex.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
There is no Lieutenancy for the county of Middlesex and therefore no potential to appoint a Deputy Lieutenant of Middlesex.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people were out of work as a result of having long covid in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 22nd March is attached.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which existing provisions of EU law listed in Annex 2 of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland can be subjected to the Stormont Brake procedure.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The scope of EU legislation that can be subject to the Stormont Brake is set out in the Windsor Framework (Democratic Scrutiny) Regulations 2024. The Government welcomes the restoration of Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions so that this important democratic safeguard can now be exercised.