Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of dynamic alignment with EU law under the 2025 UK-EU Common Understanding on the constitution.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
As part of the deal we secured at the first UK-EU summit in May, we agreed to dynamically align with the EU in specific areas where it makes sense, and where there is a benefit to the UK economy. Exporters have been clear that this will reduce the regulatory burden. This deal includes an SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) agreement, which will make it easier for food and drink to be imported and exported by reducing the red tape, and linking our respective Emissions Trading Systems. Together these measures are set to add nearly £9 billion to the UK economy by 2040.
The Common Understanding is clear that where the UK Government decides to align with EU rules as part of a new agreement this will give due regard to the UK’s constitutional and Parliamentary procedures. The UK will be involved, as a sovereign nation outside of the European Union, at an early stage and contribute to the decision-shaping process of European Union legal acts.
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) will have a limited role in assisting an independent arbitration tribunal responsible for deciding a dispute between the UK and the EU. The CJEU does not rule on the substantive outcome of the dispute - that is a matter for the independent arbitration panel.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will take steps to re-establish the Church of Ireland as the established church of Northern Ireland.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The United Kingdom has two established churches, the Church of England and the Church of Scotland. The church was disestablished in Ireland in 1871 and in Wales in 1920. There are no plans to change the current arrangements.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will reintroduce Lords Spiritual from the Church of Ireland to the House of Lords.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Bishops of the Church of Ireland previously sat in the House of Lords as Lords Spiritual, from the coming into force of the Union with Ireland Act 1800 until the disestablishment of the Church in 1871. Given the Church of Ireland is no longer part of the established church, there are no plans to reintroduce Church of Ireland bishops to the House of Lords as Lords Spiritual.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the value of trade between the UK and Tuvalu in each year since 2020.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman or lady Parliamentary Question of 26th June is attached.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, whether the UK will have a veto over new EU laws that apply under dynamic alignment provisions.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The details of new agreements described in the Common Understanding are subject to negotiation. The Common Understanding is clear that where the UK Government decides to align with EU rules as part of an agreement this will give due regard to the UK’s constitutional and Parliamentary procedures. The UK will be involved, as a sovereign nation outside of the European Union, at an early stage and contribute to the decision-shaping process of European Union legal acts.
The Common Understanding does not provide for oversight of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) within Great Britain or Northern Ireland. Instead it provides that the CJEU will have a limited role in assisting an independent arbitration tribunal responsible for deciding a dispute between the UK and the EU, and only where there is dynamic alignment of laws under any future SPS agreement, ETS linking agreement or an electricity agreement. The CJEU does not rule on the substantive outcome of the dispute - that is a matter for the independent arbitration panel.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, whether the EU will be permitted to station inspectors in the UK to monitor compliance with EU law.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The details of new agreements described in the Common Understanding are subject to negotiation. I remind the Hon Member that EU inspectors are stationed in the United Kingdom under the Windsor Framework, negotiated by the previous government.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, whether the EU will be entitled to claim damages through arbitration if the UK fails to implement new EU laws.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The details of new agreements described in the Common Understanding are subject to negotiation. The Common Understanding is clear that new agreements will be subject to independent arbitration.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 22583 on Government Departments: Procurement, what further discussions he has had with the Institution of Civil Engineers on releasing a new edition of the Construction Playbook.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Cabinet Office officials regularly engage with the ICE and other industry leading organisations, many of which are signatories to our ‘Compact with Industry’. The Construction Playbook is regularly refreshed in collaboration with industry and the public sector, ensuring it remains relevant and effective. The Government remains committed to publishing an update to the Construction Playbook. The revised version of the Construction Playbook is expected to be published in Q2 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many government cyber security roles were vacant on 4 February 2025; and what steps he is taking to recruit more people into cyber security roles.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government Security Group gathers data from cyber security teams across government through planned bi-annual commissions, providing updates on vacant roles in our workforce. In 2023, 251 cyber roles were reported vacant.
The 2025 Government Security Workforce Commission, being undertaken currently, will provide updated data on current vacancy levels.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to improve the cyber security of government digital infrastructure.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
We are committed to strengthening security across all aspects of the Government digital estate.
The Government Cyber Security Strategy sets a clear target for all government organisations to be resilient to known vulnerabilities and common attack methods by 2030.
The recent report from the National Audit Office into Government Cyber Resilience showed that the response needs to be accelerated given the changing threat picture. Its recommendations include development of a whole of government approach, addressing the long-standing shortage of cyber skills, strengthening accountability for cyber risk, and better managing the risks posed by legacy IT. We welcome this report and are taking immediate steps to address its recommendations.