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Written Question
Genomics: China
Monday 26th February 2024

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government (a) is taking steps to ensure the security of genetic data of UK citizens and (b) has raised potential concerns relating to Chinese genomics companies as part of the US-UK Strategic Dialogue on Biological Security.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Organisations which hold sensitive biological data are subject to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition, organisations such as Genomics England, UK Biobank and NIHR BioResource consider national security in decision making about partnerships with other companies.

The Office for Life Sciences is undertaking a programme of work to assess how we can minimise the risks from biological data to protect our burgeoning bioeconomy, without stifling innovation, and build confidence in sharing personal data to improve health outcomes in the UK and across the world. This is being conducted in consultation with relevant Departments and Agencies across Government, and key partners such as Genomics England and UK Biobank.

Underpinned by the UK Biological Security Strategy and the U.S. Biodefense Strategy, the U.S.-UK Strategic Dialogue on Biological Security reflects a shared ambition to protect against a growing and diverse spectrum of biological threats. These risks include future pandemics as well as those that might arise from misuse of biotechnology and genomic data by state actors.


Written Question
Advisory Committee on Business Appointments
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 47, paragraph M of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee report on China, whether the Government plans to update guidelines for the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments in relation to intelligence and security matters with particular reference to China.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government’s recently published response to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s report on China states: “The government will consider the findings of the committee’s report … and consider strengthening the Business Appointment Rules in relation to intelligence and security matters as appropriate.”

The report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-isc-china-report

It is already the case that, depending on the nature of the role, national security implications may form part of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments’ considerations.


Written Question
Jagtar Singh Johal
Monday 18th September 2023

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Prime Minister, whether he held discussions with Prime Minister Modhi on the detention of Jagtar Singh Johal during the G20 summit.

Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton during my statement on the G20 on 11 September 2023, Official Report, Column 686.


Written Question
National Security
Thursday 14th September 2023

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to recommendation U on page 61 of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament's report entitled China, published on 13 July 2023, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of moving policy ownership of all elements of national security activity to the Cabinet Office.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

HM Government has today laid before Parliament a full response that considers and addresses each of the recommendations and conclusions drawn by the Intelligence and Security Committee in its report on China, including the committee’s recommendation ‘U’.

The Cabinet Office is best placed to coordinate cross-government strategy across a range of issues including China, with departments responsible for delivery of that strategy. This allows for a coherent view across the extent of China’s activity, and allows the Government to prioritise work, assess trade-offs, and mitigate risks, with delivery across all departments.


Written Question
China
Thursday 25th May 2023

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Prime Minister, whether he discussed China during his meeting with Prime Minister Modi at the G7 Conference in Japan.

Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union

I spoke to Prime Minister Modi on 21 May 2023 at the G7 Summit. A readout is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-meeting-with-prime-minister-modi-of-india-21-may-2023.


Written Question
Written Questions: Government Responses
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 17 April 2023 to Question 175612 on Written Questions: Government Responses, if he will make an estimate of the total cost to the public purse of answering the 61,427 written parliamentary questions submitted in 2022.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

As set out in my response to PQ175612, the cost of each PQ depends on a number of factors which will vary from department to department.

It would therefore exceed the disproportionate cost threshold to estimate this figure.


Written Question
Written Questions: Government Responses
Monday 17th April 2023

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average cost to the public purse was of answering Written Parliamentary Questions as of March 2023.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The cost to the public purse of answering written PQs depends on numerous factors, including the size of parliamentary teams, volumes of parliamentary questions submitted, and the complexity of the question asked (and required policy work to answer it), amongst other factors. Across both Houses, there were 61,427 WPQs submitted in 2022, normally each requiring several hours of officials’ time, so the cost is likely to be substantial.


Written Question
Cabinet Office: CCTV
Thursday 23rd February 2023

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) his Department and (b) its agencies utilise Chinese-manufactured CCTV systems.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

As has been the case under successive administrations, it is not government policy to comment on the security arrangements of government buildings. Specific details regarding the make and model of security systems are withheld on national security grounds.


Written Question
Dominic Raab
Friday 10th February 2023

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister was aware of bullying allegations made against the Rt hon. Member for Esher and Walton before appointing him to the roles of Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 1 February 2023, Official Report, Columns 335-336.


Written Question
Government Departments: Languages
Tuesday 31st January 2023

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2023 to Question 129915 on Government Departments: Languages, when the cross-Government skills platform will be established.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

Subject to Cabinet Office and HM Treasury approvals, the new online skills platform will be rolled out in three phases from February 2024. The first phase to be rolled out will include the front-end of the online platform and launch the skills collection tool.