Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department plans to take to enable the government to break with outsourced government contracts in the case where the desired outcomes are not delivered.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The National Procurement Policy Statement will set out the Government’s policy priorities, and contracting authorities will have to have regard to it when carrying out procurements. The Policy Statement will consult on introducing a new public interest test to assess whether work should be outsourced or if it could be done more effectively and drive better value for money in-house.
We have begun to assess the areas of Government that could be done more effectively in house, and where there may be compelling reasons for Government to develop their own capabilities and capacity to deliver good value for money and better public services.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to review the effectiveness of meeting contractual requirements in outsourced services provided to government departments.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The National Procurement Policy Statement will set out the Government’s policy priorities, and contracting authorities will have to have regard to it when carrying out procurements. The Policy Statement will consult on introducing a new public interest test to assess whether work should be outsourced or if it could be done more effectively and drive better value for money in-house.
We have begun to assess the areas of Government that could be done more effectively in house, and where there may be compelling reasons for Government to develop their own capabilities and capacity to deliver good value for money and better public services.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will initiate a programme of insourcing of facilities and maintenance services in government departments.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The National Procurement Policy Statement will set out the Government’s policy priorities, and contracting authorities will have to have regard to it when carrying out procurements. The Policy Statement will consult on introducing a new public interest test to assess whether work should be outsourced or if it could be done more effectively and drive better value for money in-house.
We have begun to assess the areas of Government that could be done more effectively in house, and where there may be compelling reasons for Government to develop their own capabilities and capacity to deliver good value for money and better public services.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to tackle(a) insecure work and (b) level of pay for workers employed in outsourced services in government departments.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Employment Rights Bill will ensure the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation. This will include the introduction of the Two-Tier Code which will ensure fair and equitable employment conditions for public sector workers who have been transferred and private sector workers who work alongside them on public service contracts.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the Infected Blood Compensation Authority can make effective determinations on compensation where medical records of applicants are unavailable.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Given the historic nature of the infected blood scandal, the Government recognises that not all medical records will still be available. The Scheme has been designed to minimise as far as possible the burden on those applying, and as set out in the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2024, eligibility for the Scheme will be determined based on the balance of probabilities. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority will provide assistance to those who believe their medical records have been lost or destroyed.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the Infected Blood Compensation Authority begins (a) assessing claims and (b) making payments before the end of 2024.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is supporting the Infected Blood Compensation Authority with its aim to design a compensation service that is simple to use, easy to access and securely pays out money as quickly as possible. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority is established in law and work is progressing to put the operational systems in place with the expectation of beginning payments by the end of this year. I will continue to update the House on this matter.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, if he will seek the advice of the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests on the conduct of the honourable Member for Bishop Auckland.
Answered by Rishi Sunak
No. I refer the hon. Member to the letter to him from the DLUHC Permanent Secretary on this issue. More broadly, on the issue of Teesworks, I would also refer him to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 May 2023 (HCWS813).
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of 27 April 2021, Official Report, column 86WH, on the Government's policy on the inappropriate use by some employers of fire and rehire as a negotiation tactics, what steps his Department has taken to (a) investigate the use of and (b) discourage the use of fire and rehire negotiation tactics by executive non-departmental public bodies; and what steps he has taken to communicate the Government's policy on those practices to those bodies.
Answered by Julia Lopez
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 15260 on 17 June 2021.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to review the application of the Freedom of Information Act 2001 in designated freeports.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The government remains fully committed to transparency, and there are no plans to review the application of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in designated freeports. Freeports are not deregulatory and the government will ensure the UK’s high standards with respect to security, safety, workers’ rights and the environment will not be compromised.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether it is in the scope of the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform (TIGRR) to consider or recommend changes to the 48-hour week protections, rest breaks at work and inclusion of overtime pay when calculating some holiday pay entitlements.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Prime Minister has asked the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform to generate recommendations for how the UK can take advantage of its newfound regulatory freedom.
The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce have been published, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform-tigrr-terms-of-reference