Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the review announced in his Department's press release entitled Hundreds of quangos to be examined for potential closure as Government takes back control, published on 7 April 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The government is conducting a full line-by-line Spending Review which will cover the costs of proposed and existing ALBs to ensure value for money is being delivered for the taxpayer.
On 6 April, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced a full review of all arm’s length bodies to drive efficiency and reduce bureaucracy and duplication as part of Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.This review is ongoing, and is being conducted by existing civil servants.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the return on investment of GREAT campaign funding in each year since it was introduced.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Since 2011, the GREAT campaign has developed a robust approach to evaluation, which has been validated by multiple external organisations, and consistently reported strong returns to the UK economy. The methodologies used continue to be reviewed and refined to support regular reporting, ensuring the campaign consistently drives good impact and value for money for the taxpayer.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the number of businesses that have ceased trading in Mid-Bedfordshire constituency since the Autumn Budget 2024.
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’s Parliamentary Question of 7th May is attached.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Hundreds of quangos to be examined for potential closure as Government takes back control, published on 7 April 2025, whether that review will consider Arms Length Bodies created since July 2024.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The review will cover all existing arm’s-length bodies (ALBs), and includes proposals for new ALBs.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Arms Length Bodies have been created since July 2024.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Cabinet Office maintains records and oversight of formally established Arm’s Length Bodies. As stated in my previous answer of 8 January 2025, no ALBs have been formally established since 4 July 2024.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of excluding Chinese firms from critical national infrastructure.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The UK will not compromise on economic security and will continue to prioritise national security and resilience.
We will continue to cooperate with China on trade and investment, recognising there will also be areas where we need to challenge non-market policies and protect sensitive sectors of the economy.
We will continue to support UK business to engage with the second largest economy in the world, while being clear-eyed to any risks and ensuring security and resilience.
The National Technical Authorities (National Cyber Security Centre and National Protective Security Authority) provide advice to critical national infrastructure (CNI) industry on best practice for CNI security and resilience.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the press release entitled Hundreds of quangos to be examined for potential closure as Government takes back control, published on 7 April 2025, whether this review will consider future Arm's Length Bodies already announced.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The review will cover all arm’s-length bodies (ALBs), including proposals for new ALBs.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy that hon. Members are formally consulted before Government decisions which would have a particular impact on their constituency are made.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government recognises the importance of engagement with MPs when making policy decisions. Honorable Members already have a variety of levers in Parliament by which they can engage Ministers on policies affecting their constituencies. There are no plans to change these existing arrangements. .
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the GREAT campaign on economic growth.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland campaign remains an effective tool in driving economic growth and we will continue to work closely with partners to optimise the campaign’s resources to deliver growth across the UK as part of our Plan for Change.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the contribution of the GREAT campaign to economic growth.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland campaign remains an effective tool in driving economic growth and we will continue to work closely with partners to optimise the campaign’s resources to deliver growth across the UK as part of our Plan for Change.