Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide training on evaluation techniques and methodologies to Civil Servants; and to what extent this training will take into account practices from outside Government.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In 2021, the National Audit Office published a report on evaluating government spending. The report highlighted several challenges regarding the Civil Service’s capacity to evaluate government policies, including a skills gap in evaluation.
It is the responsibility of individual government departments and professions to ensure that they have the capacity and capability to evaluate their policies and programmes, and to address any capability gaps they may have.
To support departments, the Cabinet Office is taking steps to improve the skills of analysts and policy officials across the Civil Service. For example, the Evaluation Task Force has created the Evaluation Academy to address a cross-government skills gap and build evaluation capacity in the analytical profession. The Evaluation Academy comprises 10 modules including process, impact and value-for-money evaluation that are aligned to the Magenta Book, the government’s guidance on evaluation. The Academy has been run for two consecutive years and has already led to more than 2,000 civil servants receiving training on evaluation topics and methods. The Evaluation Task Force has also provided advice on evaluation methods for 382 government programmes worth a total value of £202 billion.
Additionally, the Government Skills Campus project is building and rolling out a new Civil Service wide digital platform which will log the skills of all civil servants, including evaluation skills. This will create a Civil Service-wide skills dataset allowing for even more data-driven workforce planning and targeted action on capability gaps. Roll out begins in 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Civil Service capacity needed to provide robust evaluation of Government policies; and how they will address any identified gaps.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In 2021, the National Audit Office published a report on evaluating government spending. The report highlighted several challenges regarding the Civil Service’s capacity to evaluate government policies, including a skills gap in evaluation.
It is the responsibility of individual government departments and professions to ensure that they have the capacity and capability to evaluate their policies and programmes, and to address any capability gaps they may have.
To support departments, the Cabinet Office is taking steps to improve the skills of analysts and policy officials across the Civil Service. For example, the Evaluation Task Force has created the Evaluation Academy to address a cross-government skills gap and build evaluation capacity in the analytical profession. The Evaluation Academy comprises 10 modules including process, impact and value-for-money evaluation that are aligned to the Magenta Book, the government’s guidance on evaluation. The Academy has been run for two consecutive years and has already led to more than 2,000 civil servants receiving training on evaluation topics and methods. The Evaluation Task Force has also provided advice on evaluation methods for 382 government programmes worth a total value of £202 billion.
Additionally, the Government Skills Campus project is building and rolling out a new Civil Service wide digital platform which will log the skills of all civil servants, including evaluation skills. This will create a Civil Service-wide skills dataset allowing for even more data-driven workforce planning and targeted action on capability gaps. Roll out begins in 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent stakeholder engagement they have undertaken regarding the benefits of the Windsor Framework; and what steps they will take to engage further.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This Government is committed to the faithful implementation of the Windsor Framework and stakeholder engagement is an important aspect of this. When agreeing the Windsor Framework both the UK and EU made commitments to implement enhanced engagement mechanisms, allowing stakeholders the routes to share their views on the implementation of the Framework.
Since the Political Declaration was published on 27 February 2023 the government has continuously engaged with relevant stakeholders to discuss the Windsor Framework and to ensure businesses are able to realise its benefits. We established the Joint Consultative Working Group (JCWG) sub-groups and the UK-EU joint engagement programme which meet regularly, with the most recent engagements taking place in October. This was referenced in the last UK-EU Joint Statement, following the Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework on 22 October.
Outside of these joint UK-EU engagements the UK government regularly engages with people and businesses in Northern Ireland. The Minister for the Cabinet Office has met with the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland to discuss the Windsor Framework. He also recently attended a roundtable at Queen’s University Belfast with businesses and civic society representatives to discuss Windsor Framework implementation. Likewise, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regularly engages with NI stakeholders and hosted a roundtable in Belfast for the Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group to discuss the Windsor Framework on October 31.
UK government departments continuously engage with stakeholders to discuss the technical aspects of the Windsor Framework arrangements and this government is committed to continuing this engagement further.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what main issues emerged from their stakeholder engagement on the implementation of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This Government is committed to the faithful implementation of the Windsor Framework and stakeholder engagement is an important aspect of this. When agreeing the Windsor Framework both the UK and EU made commitments to implement enhanced engagement mechanisms, allowing stakeholders the routes to share their views on the implementation of the Framework.
Since the Political Declaration was published on 27 February 2023 the government has continuously engaged with relevant stakeholders to discuss the Windsor Framework and to ensure businesses are able to realise its benefits. We established the Joint Consultative Working Group (JCWG) sub-groups and the UK-EU joint engagement programme which meet regularly, with the most recent engagements taking place in October. This was referenced in the last UK-EU Joint Statement, following the Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework on 22 October.
Outside of these joint UK-EU engagements the UK government regularly engages with people and businesses in Northern Ireland. The Minister for the Cabinet Office has met with the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland to discuss the Windsor Framework. He also recently attended a roundtable at Queen’s University Belfast with businesses and civic society representatives to discuss Windsor Framework implementation. Likewise, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regularly engages with NI stakeholders and hosted a roundtable in Belfast for the Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group to discuss the Windsor Framework on October 31.
UK government departments continuously engage with stakeholders to discuss the technical aspects of the Windsor Framework arrangements and this government is committed to continuing this engagement further.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive regarding public consultation in advance of the Democratic Consent Vote in respect of the Windsor Framework, due to take place in the Northern Ireland Assembly by the end of 2024.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to supporting the Northern Ireland Executive as appropriate in consulting with businesses, civil society groups, and representative organisations. There is regular contact between the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on a range of issues and further detail will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what legal or other support will be made available to infected and affected people when making applications for compensation for infected blood; and how the compensation authority will assist people whose medical records have been destroyed.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
The Government will make arrangements for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to provide support to applicants and within this support will consider the provision of legal support services. The Government amendments to the Victims and Prisoners Bill allow for that support to be provided for victims and the House can expect the Government to work with the Infected Blood Compensation Authority on the support that is required.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Infected Blood Inquiry: The Report published on 20 May, when infected and affected people will receive new interim compensation payments; and when full compensation payments will be made.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
It is the Government’s intention for the first interim payments of £210,000 to the living infected to be delivered within 90 days, to begin in summer. Full Compensation Scheme payments will be made as quickly as possible and our aim is that payments will start before the end of the year.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that there are no time limits on starting or completing applications for compensation for infected blood.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
The Government is committed to ensuring that all those eligible to receive compensation receive an award as quickly as possible. For those whose infections are diagnosed before 1 April 2025, the Scheme is anticipated to be open for 6 years (31 March 2031). However, the anticipated closing date of the Scheme for people with existing diagnoses will be reviewed after 3 years to ensure that it is appropriate.The Government recognises that some people may not yet have been diagnosed with an eligible infection. Where people are newly diagnosed after 1 April 2025, the Scheme will remain open to applications for compensation for 6 years after their diagnosis date.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how the infected blood compensation scheme will include people infected with other hepatitis viruses, such as (1) hepatitis B, and (2) hepatitis D.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
Those living with a chronic Hepatitis B infection, and those with acute Hepatitis B infections who died from their infection during the acute period, will be eligible under the scheme. More detail can be viewed online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infected-blood-compensation-scheme-summary/infected-blood-compensation-scheme-summary. The Inquiry’s second interim report sets out that as the Hepatitis D virus does not cause infection in the absence of Hepatitis B, it is not necessary to make Hepatitis D an additional class of infection. Therefore Hepatitis D infections are not separately considered for compensation.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what they will ensure that the Infected Blood Compensation Authority and Scheme accepts applications from people who are not able to register for the existing support schemes, such as (1) people who have recovered after receiving infected blood, and (2) people infected after the current cut-off dates.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
Under the proposed Infected Blood Compensation Scheme those who have been infected with hepatitis C whose infection lasted less than 6 months will be eligible for compensation. People who were infected after the current cut-off dates will be eligible to apply. However, the introduction of testing will be considered as a factor when assessing their application. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority website launched on 21 May and interested people can register their interest in being involved in the IBCA and receiving updates.