Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, if he will publish the details of all meetings he has held in the last 12 months with (a) Heads of States (b) Ambassadors (c) business leaders and (d) civil society, where COP26 was the leading topic of discussion.
Answered by Boris Johnson
A successful COP26 is at the top of the Government’s agenda. I regularly raise climate change and COP26 in my bilateral meetings. Most recently, during my visit to the US and attendance at the UN General Assembly, I raised climate change with the heads of state or government from Brazil, Colombia, South Korea, Turkey, and the US. I co-hosted a climate roundtable with the UN Secretary General where we called on major economies to be more ambitious in cutting emissions and encouraged developed countries to increase mobilisation of climate finance to meet the $100 billion goal. Details of my meetings are published and can be found on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 August 2021 to Question 16063 on Disease Control, which Cabinet Ministers were actively involved in Exercise Nimbus.
Answered by Michael Ellis
In addition to the information provided in the response to PQ 16063, the following cross-government exercises have been conducted since 2010 in relation to pandemic preparedness and response:
April 2021: an official-level exercise to test contingency plans for the risk of an emergence of a significant variant of COVID-19.
May 2021: a Ministerial-level exercise to rehearse the response to the outbreak of a significant variant of COVID-19.
August 2021: a series of official-level wargames to test cross-government COVID-19 arrangements for the Autumn / Winter period.
As explained in the response to PQ 16063, the Government does not publicly comment in detail on pandemic preparedness exercises. This includes exercises that test plans for ongoing emergencies, including COVID-19. This is to allow Ministers, officials and emergency planners to develop policies and plans while ensuring that the full, candid and proper deliberation of lessons learned is not influenced or impacted by the possibility of public exposure.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 August 2021 to Question 16063 on Disease Control, if he will make it his policy to gather the details of all pandemic exercises held across Government departments from 2010 onwards; if he will set out the relevance of each exercise to the covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michael Ellis
In addition to the information provided in the response to PQ 16063, the following cross-government exercises have been conducted since 2010 in relation to pandemic preparedness and response:
April 2021: an official-level exercise to test contingency plans for the risk of an emergence of a significant variant of COVID-19.
May 2021: a Ministerial-level exercise to rehearse the response to the outbreak of a significant variant of COVID-19.
August 2021: a series of official-level wargames to test cross-government COVID-19 arrangements for the Autumn / Winter period.
As explained in the response to PQ 16063, the Government does not publicly comment in detail on pandemic preparedness exercises. This includes exercises that test plans for ongoing emergencies, including COVID-19. This is to allow Ministers, officials and emergency planners to develop policies and plans while ensuring that the full, candid and proper deliberation of lessons learned is not influenced or impacted by the possibility of public exposure.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to include representatives from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group in the membership of the inquiry commission into the response to the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
On 12 May, the Prime Minister confirmed the public inquiry into COVID-19 will begin in Spring 2022. The Government recognises that it must engage and consult with bereaved families and others, before the terms of reference are finalised. The terms of reference will set out the purpose and structure of the Covid-19 inquiry, including the exact areas that will be investigated.
The Government is aware of Bereaved Families for Justice’ call to be represented during the COVID-19 Inquiry. Throughout the pandemic senior ministers, including the Prime Minister, have met and will continue to meet with bereaved families.
We also recognise the need for bereaved families to be represented on the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration. The Commission will carefully consider how communities across the country can remember those who have lost their lives and recognise those involved in the response in a fitting and permanent way. I want to thank the Bereaved Families for Justice group for all their efforts in representing bereaved families throughout the pandemic.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list the Ministers who have conducted Government business using private email accounts since the 2019 General Election.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I refer the hon. Member to my response on 28 June 2021.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant the Answer of 29 March 2021 to Question 172053 on Gender Based Violence: Victim Support Schemes, and with reference to the Green Paper Transforming Public Procurement, if he will publish a White Paper containing criteria setting out when it is appropriate for grant funding to be used for specialist provision for Violence Against Women and Girls services and for procurement rules to not apply.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government has no plans to legislate in this area and so will not publish a White Paper. The published Grants Functional Standard provides clear guidance, alongside Managing Public Money, on the use of grant funding, and is available to government departments and arm's length bodies. Decisions on the use of grants as a funding mechanism are carefully considered and informed by the purpose and expected outcomes of individual schemes.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the covid-19 risk from wedding ceremonies in (a) permitted places of worship and some public buildings from 12 April 2021 and (b) outdoor wedding ceremony venues.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
In the COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021, the Government has set out the gradual and cautious approach to reopening different sectors in England, guided by science and the data.
We understand the unique significance that marriages and civil partnerships hold in people’s lives, but we have to take necessary steps to limit transmission of COVID-19. This includes restrictions on wedding and civil partnership ceremonies, as well as other forms of social contact. By their very nature, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are events that bring families and friends together, making them particularly vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19.
Alternative wedding ceremonies are permitted in line with the regular wedding or civil partnership rules, in the same locations, at each step.
From 29 March, wedding and civil partnership ceremonies can take place indoors or outdoors in COVID-Secure venues that are not expressly closed by the Regulations, or where a broader exemption applies. Only six people are permitted to attend until Step 2, when limits will increase to 15. This approach allows couples to marry in legally binding licensed venues for wedding ceremonies (where outdoor options are limited) while remaining in line with the reopening of sectors and venues as set out in the roadmap. Wedding ceremonies should follow government guidance to reduce the risk of transmission.
Receptions (of up to 15 people) can resume from Step 2. The evidence shows that it is safer for people to meet outdoors rather than indoors. That is why receptions are only permitted outdoors at this Step and should be in a COVID-Secure venue.
From Step 3, no earlier than 17 May 2021, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are permitted for up to 30 people in COVID-Secure venues that are not required to close, or where a broader exemption applies. Receptions can also proceed with up to 30 people in a COVID-Secure indoor venue, or outdoors, which includes private gardens.
Guidance for wedding and civil partnership receptions and celebrations can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/covid-19-guidance-for-wedding-and-civil-partnership-receptions-and-celebrations
At each step, the limits on the number of attendees includes children of all ages, but not workers.
For further information, please refer to the guidance for small marriages and civil partnerships - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department is taking steps to remove specialist Violence Against Women and Girls services from procurement rules; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The overarching principle in all public procurement is to secure the best value for money for the taxpayer. The Green Paper proposals rightly put value for money at the heart of the new approach for services that are put out to tender. However there is no requirement in the procurement rules for public services to be outsourced.
Where grants are appropriately used to fund these types of specialist provision, procurement rules do not apply: grants are subject to public law and internal government standards, to ensure that the provision is effective and value for money is achieved.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2020 to Question 57942 whether he has undertaken (a) polling and (b) other evidence gathering of public opinion to underpin his statement that nobody in Number 10 has done anything to undermine the Government's covid-19 messaging.
Answered by Boris Johnson
I refer the Hon. Member to my Parliamentary statement of 23 June 2020, Official Report, Column 1167 onwards, which outlines how we are working with the public to combat the Covid-19 virus, and to trust in the common sense of the British people. That common sense and the public’s sacrifices have allowed us to get the virus under control and downgrade the Covid Alert Level.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions has not lead a daily covid-19 briefing broadcast from Downing Street.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The daily coronavirus press conferences have been led by the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary, and other Cabinet Ministers as required, reflecting the salient topics.