Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the account of the workings of the communications function across Government set out in the chapter entitled “Government (Mis)Communications” in Dame Kate Bingham’s book The Long Shot.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
During a crisis, effective communication is essential. As public bodies we must be the source of accurate, relevant and timely information. The Government Communication Service has recently published a new operating model for Crisis Communications to ensure that we learn lessons from previous experiences, including the UK’s Covid response. This sets out clear guidelines for preparing for, responding to and recovering from crises. Our response to emergencies are kept under constant review.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham (HL391), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, whether they intend to review the processes and systems of supervision and governance in respect of projects commissioned by the Government.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) is the government’s centre of expertise for infrastructure and major projects. The IPA leads the government project delivery function and sits at the heart of government, reporting to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. The IPA and HM Treasury have the final decision on which projects and programmes join the Government Major Project Portfolio (GMPP). The IPA is responsible for the tracking and monitoring of GMPP projects. The IPA supports GMPP projects with expert advice and support, intervening early to ensure that projects are set up for success. Overall accountability to Parliament sits with responsible Accounting Officers; this includes supervising their governance processes and monitoring performance to ensure they are sufficient and proportionate. For projects not part of the GMPP, where IPA does not provide independent assurance, it is the responsibility of the Accounting Officer to ensure that a suitable assurance process is in place.
The IPA was established to provide support to priority projects. However, in recent years the IPA has developed a number of tools to support Accounting Officers and senior project leaders across government to set projects up for success. These tools are reviewed periodically to ensure they reflect current best practice.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to review the processes operating in the public sector for protecting data, including data about individuals held by suppliers to public sector bodies.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government takes its data protection responsibilities very seriously, including where data is held by suppliers to the Government and suppliers to public sector bodies. Data protection processes are kept under continuous review. As the relevant National Technical Authority, the National Cyber Security Centre provides the Government, public sector bodies and the private sector with expert advice on protecting data from unauthorised access.
The Government Cyber Security Strategy was published last year. This sets out our plans significantly to harden the Government’s critical functions against cyber attack by 2025, with all organisations across the public sector being resilient to known vulnerabilities by 2030 at the latest.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they allow special advisers in government to review and delay responses to freedom of information requests.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
All Freedom of Information requests are processed according to the provisions of the Act. In 2022, government departments and other monitored bodies responded to 86% of requests within the permitted time limits. FOI statistics are published regularly and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics
It is in line with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers to give assistance and advice on any aspect of department business, including on requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act, and to convey a minister’s views to officials. This has been the case under successive Administrations. The Cabinet Office has circulated a guidance note to cross-government practitioners which sets out the roles of special advisers in the process of responding to requests for information and which is available on Parliament’s website at https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmpubadm/576/report.html#heading-1.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the data breach at the Electoral Commission, what plans they have to review the effectiveness of cyber defences of the Government's own technology platforms and those of other public bodies.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government Cyber Security Strategy published last year sets out our plans to significantly harden the Government’s critical functions against cyber attack by 2025, with all organisations across the public sector being resilient to known vulnerabilities by 2030.
We have already made significant progress against the strategy. Earlier this year the Government launched GovAssure, the new cyber security assurance process for government organisations. Under GovAssure, government organisations will regularly review the effectiveness of their cyber defences against common cyber vulnerabilities and attack methods. GovAssure will enable government organisations to accurately assess their levels of cyber resilience across their critical services, highlight priority areas for improvement and provide the Government with a strategic view of cyber capability, risk and resilience across the sector.
The Electoral Commission is independent of Government and is accountable to Parliament through the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission. However, we have supported the Commission via the National Cyber Security Centre, who have provided the Commission with expert advice and support to aid their recovery after the cyber incident was first identified.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) civil servants, and (2) special advisers, in 10 Downing Street are restricted from commenting on the process to elect a new leader of the Conservative Party.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Civil Service should act as it did during previous periods in 2016 and 2019. Official resources must not be used to support leadership campaign activity.
As at all times, the Civil Service must serve the Government in a way which maintains political impartiality and retains the confidence of Ministers, while at the same time ensuring it will be able to establish the same relationship with those who may go on to lead the Government.
Special advisers are exempt from the Civil Service Code requirement of political impartiality. Therefore, as laid out in the Special Adviser Code of Conduct, their involvement in political activity does not need to be restricted in the same way as it is for other civil servants. All Special Advisers have been made aware of the expectations regarding their role and conduct during this period. If they wish to take part in leadership campaign activity, they must do so in their own time, out of office hours or via unpaid leave, and not involve the use of departmental resources.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 22 June (HL862), (1) by what date, and (2) by what means, the Whitehall Boiler System will be fully decarbonised.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The date and means to fully decarbonise the Whitehall Boiler System are not currently known, as the next phase (Phase 2) of the project to reduce carbon emissions / decarbonise is currently undergoing a feasibility / options appraisal and is anticipated to be the subject of an investment decision as part of the next spending review (SR).
Phase 1 includes installation of pipework lagging (completed 2021/22) and replacing heat exchangers to lower the operating temperature (to be completed from 2022/23). Phase 1 will result in a carbon saving of approximately 17%.
Phase 2 is anticipated to run from 2024 to 2028 and include delivery of Ground Source Heat Pumps to achieve carbon savings of approximately 71% (including Phase 1 carbon savings).
Phase 3 is a further potential scheme that could connect into a wider district heating system anticipated from 2026 to 2035. Phase 3 could achieve carbon savings of approximately 92% (against current emissions).
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to decarbonise the heating of buildings accommodating government departments (1) on, and (2) close to, Whitehall.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The primary source of heating for government offices in Whitehall is the Whitehall District Heating System, which is operated by the Government Property Agency (GPA). GPA has ongoing plans to reduce carbon emissions from and decarbonise the district heating system.
In 2021/22FY, a pipework lagging project was completed to reduce heat losses and provide carbon savings.
In 2022/23FY, it is planned to start a project to lower the operating temperature of the system from 145oC to 95oC.
Forecast reductions in Carbon from the completion of both projects is approximately 17%.
GPA has plans from 2025 to consider a decarbonisation of the Whitehall Boiler System that feeds the district heating system.
Other government office projects are ongoing in and around Whitehall to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions through upgrades to LED lighting and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of British businesses that have stopped trading with the EU since 1 January 2021.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
A response to the noble Lord’s Parliamentary Question of 6 June is below and attached.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
The Lord Birt
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
17 June 2022
Dear Lord Birt,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the percentage of British businesses that have stopped trading with the EU since 1 January 2021 (HL603).
Unfortunately, the Office for National Statistics does not hold or publish data on the percentage of British businesses that have stopped trading with the EU since 1 January 2021.
Through the Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS), however, we do collect some data on the changes businesses have made to how and where they import and export since 1 January 2021.
Estimates from early May 2022 show that 4% of trading exporting businesses changed from exporting their goods and services to EU countries to nations from outside the EU. The percentage of trading importing businesses who changed from importing from within the EU to outside the EU was 2%. Table 1 provides the estimates from BICS at the start of 2021 and May 2022, where we asked businesses that have exported or imported in the last 12 months if they have changed where they have exported/imported goods or services to in the last three months.[1]
In early March 2022, estimates from BICS show that 7% of businesses made changes to supply chains due to the end of the EU transition period. Table 2 provides the time series from BICS, where we asked businesses if they made changes to supply chains due to the end of the EU transition period.
The UK leaving the EU and the subsequent transition period, along with the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, global recession and supply chain disruption, have caused higher levels of volatility in trade statistics in the past two years. We have investigated the impacts of EU exit and COVID-19 on UK trade in goods [2] and UK trade in services [3] in recent articles, and have also examined the extent to which supply chains have shifted following theend of the EU exit transition period in UK trade in goods, year in review: 2021. [4]
However, it continues to be difficult to assess the extent to which trade movements reflect short-term trade disruption or longer-term supply chain adjustments.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Table 1: Have you changed where you have exported/imported your goods or services to in the last three months?
Percentage of businesses currently trading and have exported or imported in last 12 months, weighted by count, UK, 8 February 2021 to 15 May 2022
Reference period | Changed from EU to non-EU | Changed from non-EU to EU [5] | No Changes Made | Not Sure | |
Exporting businesses | 8 February to 21 February 2021 | 2.1% | [c] | 93.1% | 4.3% |
3 May to 15 May 2022 | 4.2% | 1.0% | 92.5% | 2.3% | |
Importing businesses | 8 February to 21 February 2021 | 1.7% | 1.2% | 95.2% | 2.5% |
3 May to 15 May 2022 | 1.6% | [c] | 91.6% | 5.9% |
Source: Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) [6]
Table 2: Has your business made changes to supply chains due to the end of the EU transition period?
Percentage of businesses not permanently stopped, weighted by count, UK, 22 March 2021 to 20 March 2022
Reference Period | Yes | No | Not Sure | Not applicable |
22 March to 4 April 2021 | 3.7% | 59.6% | 4.6% | 32.1% |
5 April to 18 April 2021 | 4.3% | 57.0% | 4.2% | 34.5% |
19 April to 2 May 2021 | 3.8% | 56.8% | 5.3% | 34.1% |
3 May to 16 May 2021 | 3.7% | 56.9% | 3.8% | 35.6% |
17 May to 30 May 2021 | 3.6% | 47.1% | 5.1% | 44.2% |
31 May to 13 June 2021 | 4.0% | 51.1% | 4.2% | 40.6% |
14 June to 27 June 2021 | 4.5% | 45.0% | 5.1% | 45.3% |
12 July to 25 July 2021 | 4.3% | 36.3% | 6.7% | 52.7% |
9 August to 22 August 2021 | 4.1% | 40.4% | 6.4% | 49.0% |
6 September to 19 September 2021 | 4.4% | 39.2% | 6.7% | 49.7% |
18 October to 31 October 2021 | 4.9% | 48.8% | 5.2% | 41.2% |
15 November to 28 November 2021 | 5.0% | 51.6% | 5.0% | 38.5% |
13 December to 26 December 2021 | 4.7% | 48.3% | 4.9% | 42.1% |
10 January to 23 January 2022 | 4.7% | 41.0% | 6.0% | 48.2% |
7 February to 20 February 2022 | 4.7% | 43.4% | 5.6% | 46.3% |
7 March to 20 March 2022 | 6.6% | 47.8% | 4.5% | 41.1% |
Source: Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS)
1 https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/datasets/businessinsightsandimpactontheukeconomy
2 https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/internationaltrade/articles/theimpactsofeuexitandthecoronavirusonuktradeingoods/2021-05-25
3 https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/articles/theimpactsofeuexitandcoronaviruscovid19onuktradeinservices/latest
4 https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/articles/uktradeingoodsyearinreview/2021
5 [c] represents data that has been removed for confidentiality reasons, such as percentages less than 1%.
6 Further time periods are available: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/datasets/businessinsightsandimpactontheukeconomy
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) civil servants, (2) special advisers, and (3) contractors, were employed in the Cabinet Office in (a) 2001, (b) 2011, and (c) 2021.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The number of (1) civil servants, (2) special advisors, and (3) contractors, were employed in the Cabinet Office in (a) 2001, (b) 2011, and (c) 2021 is set out in the table below.
Figures for contractors in 2001 and 2011 were not held centrally during those years and are therefore unavailable.
In 2011, the role and remit of the Cabinet Office was largely to act in support of the Prime Minister and the operation of Government. Since then, the role of the Cabinet Office in managing the Civil Service has grown significantly to include centralisation of a number of functions including Human Resources, Commercial, Digital, Communications, and Security.
The Cabinet Office also supports the Government in its response to national events, such as – in recent years – EU Exit, COVID-19, and COP26.
Headcount | 2001 | 2011 | 2021 |
Civil Servants | 1,890 | 1,641 | 1807 - Secretariats and Policy 8,437 - Corporate Centre for Government, Inquiries, Equalities Hub, COP 26 and COVID Taskforce |
Special Advisors | 25 | 43 | 58 |
Contractors | N/A | N/A | 429 |