Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) transport, (b) venue hire and accommodation, (c) printed materials including backdrops, (d) security, (e) staffing, (f) filming and photography and (g) other costs of each public meeting since her appointment.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is a business unit of the Cabinet Office and, as such, its administrative costs are part of the Cabinet Office’s wider administrative costs.
Information for 2022-23 can be found in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-23), copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
Information for the last financial year will be published in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24 in due course.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what the administration costs of her office were in each year since her appointment.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is a business unit of the Cabinet Office and, as such, its administrative costs are part of the Cabinet Office’s wider administrative costs.
Information for 2022-23 can be found in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-23), copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
Information for the last financial year will be published in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24 in due course.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, how many Privy Council Office staff have left that organisation in each year since 2015.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Privy Council Office is part of the Cabinet Office. Some of the information requested is held centrally.
As far as data is centrally held, I refer the hon. Member to the Civil Service statistics for the Cabinet Office available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics and https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/civilservicestatistics
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, how many staff left her Office in each year since 2015.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - 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. Some of the information requested is held centrally.
As far as data is centrally held, I refer the hon. Member to the Civil Service statistics for the Cabinet Office available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics and https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/civilservicestatistics
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, with reference to the Guide to Making Legislation, which Acts that received royal assent since 2010 have been subject to post-legislative review; and which Acts are being reviewed.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
This information is not held centrally. Post-legislative scrutiny memoranda have been published on GOV.UK where bills have undergone the process. While all bills that have reached Royal Assent are eligible for post-legislative scrutiny after they are enacted, it can be agreed between the department and the relevant Commons departmental select committee that a memorandum is not required.
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, when she plans to respond to the First Report of the Procedure Committee on Commons scrutiny of Secretaries of State in the House of Lords, HC 338, published on 24 January 2024.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Government submitted its response to the Procedure Committee’s report on Commons scrutiny of Secretaries of State in the House of Lords on Tuesday 26th March 2024.
As Leader of the House of Commons, I meet regularly with Cabinet colleagues to discuss issues across my portfolio and will continue to do so. Correspondence between the Government and the Select Committees of both Houses is published on parliament.uk.
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, whether she has had correspondence with the House of Lords Procedure Committee about Commons scrutiny of Secretaries of State in the Lords.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Government submitted its response to the Procedure Committee’s report on Commons scrutiny of Secretaries of State in the House of Lords on Tuesday 26th March 2024.
As Leader of the House of Commons, I meet regularly with Cabinet colleagues to discuss issues across my portfolio and will continue to do so. Correspondence between the Government and the Select Committees of both Houses is published on parliament.uk.
Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2024 to Question 16442 on Legislative Drafting: Gender, when she plans to publish the further information for drafters on gendered language.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel’s drafting guidance was published on GOV.UK on 4th April 2024 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drafting-bills-for-parliament) and has also been deposited in the libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, with reference to the Answer of 19 June 2023 to Question 187222, on Legislative Drafting: Gender, whether the revised guidance has been completed; and whether she continues to plan to place it in the Libraries of both Houses and publish it on the gov.uk website.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel has updated its drafting guidance in general and, following the written statement, has further information for drafters on gendered language. This will be published on GOV.UK in due course.
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, with reference to paragraphs 7.16 and 7.17 of the Ministerial Code, on how many occasions she has informed the Law Officers that she is the defendant in a libel action in (a) her personal capacity, (b) her official position and (c) both since 19 December 2019.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
I refer the hon. member to paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code which states: “The fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority.”