Dan Jarvis Portrait

Dan Jarvis

Labour - Barnsley Central

First elected: 3rd March 2011

Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Security)

(since September 2023)

Dan Jarvis is not a member of any APPGs
1 Former APPG membership
Action on Conflict and Global Britain
Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Bill
15th Mar 2023 - 23rd Mar 2023
Carer’s Leave Bill
2nd Nov 2022 - 9th Nov 2022
Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill
26th Oct 2022 - 2nd Nov 2022
National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)
30th Oct 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Shadow Minister (Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs)
22nd Jun 2015 - 14th Sep 2015
Shadow Minister (Justice)
7th Oct 2013 - 18th Jun 2015
Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
7th Oct 2011 - 7th Oct 2013
Business, Innovation and Skills Committee
21st Mar 2011 - 24th Oct 2011


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Dan Jarvis has voted in 649 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Dan Jarvis Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Tom Tugendhat (Conservative)
Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
(29 debate interactions)
Ben Wallace (Conservative)
(23 debate interactions)
Boris Johnson (Conservative)
(17 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Cabinet Office
(62 debate contributions)
Ministry of Defence
(51 debate contributions)
Home Office
(50 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Dan Jarvis's debates

Barnsley Central Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Dan Jarvis has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by Dan Jarvis

31st January 2023
Dan Jarvis signed this EDM as a sponsor on Tuesday 31st January 2023

Second anniversary of military coup in Myanmar

Tabled by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
That this House extends solidarity to the people of Myanmar resisting the military coup that took place on 1 February 2021; deplores that over 17,000 people have been arrested, over 2,700 killed and over one million forced to flee their homes; calls for the immediate release of elected members of …
38 signatures
(Most recent: 26 Oct 2023)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 19
Scottish National Party: 6
Independent: 4
Plaid Cymru: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Conservative: 1
Alba Party: 1
Green Party: 1
Alliance: 1
7th November 2022
Dan Jarvis signed this EDM on Tuesday 8th November 2022

Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal

Tabled by: Martin Docherty-Hughes (Scottish National Party - West Dunbartonshire)
That this House notes that Friday 4 November 2022 marks the fifth anniversary of the arbitrary detention in India of Jagtar Singh Johal, a Sikh activist from Dumbarton held since being abducted from the street during his honeymoon by unidentified assailants who turned out to be undercover police agents; further …
57 signatures
(Most recent: 28 Apr 2023)
Signatures by party:
Scottish National Party: 35
Labour: 10
Liberal Democrat: 3
Plaid Cymru: 3
Independent: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Green Party: 1
Conservative: 1
Alba Party: 1
View All Dan Jarvis's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Dan Jarvis, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Dan Jarvis has not been granted any Urgent Questions

4 Adjournment Debates led by Dan Jarvis

Monday 20th March 2023
Monday 13th June 2022
Wednesday 30th September 2020

3 Bills introduced by Dan Jarvis


A Bill to make provision about protection from redundancy during or after pregnancy or after periods of maternity, adoption or shared parental leave.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 24th May 2023 and was enacted into law.


A Bill to establish a target for the reduction of child poverty in the United Kingdom; to make provision about reporting against such a target; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 40%

Last Event - 2nd Reading: House Of Commons
Friday 3rd February 2017
(Read Debate)

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Wednesday 2nd July 2014

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
7 Other Department Questions
23rd Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of leisure centres that will receive financial support for energy bills, as part of the package of measures announced in the Spring Budget 2023.

At the Budget, we announced a dedicated £63 million support package for swimming pools, which is targeted at addressing cost pressures facing public swimming pool providers. It will also help provide investment in energy efficiency measures to reduce future operating costs and make facilities sustainable in the long-term. Eligibility criteria for the fund will be published shortly, which will determine the number of beneficiaries through a competitive process. The Government intends for community and charitable trusts to be eligible for support.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
17th Jun 2022
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, further to the oral contribution of the Minister for Women and Equalities on 8 June 2022, Official Report, column 794HC, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on that Department's strategy on handling cases of rape and serious sexual assault.

Departmental officials and Ministers talk regularly on a range of issues, and have discussed the Ministry of Defence’s strategy for tackling sexual offending in Defence, which will shortly be released.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
16th Apr 2021
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with Ministers in HM Treasury on the allocation of specific funding from the public purse to (a) new mothers and (b) children born since the outbreak of covid-19.

The Government is committed to providing support to all those that need it, including new mothers and children born during the pandemic, as we recover from the impact of COVID-19. During the crisis we have rolled out unprecedented levels of support to protect jobs and income for both women and men, including via the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Universal Credit uplift.

Financial support available for those who are pregnant or new parents includes Child Benefit, the Sure Start Maternity Grant, and the Healthy Start Scheme, as well as Maternity Allowance or paid parental leave for those who are eligible and/or Universal Credit where relevant.

We also recognise the impact of the pandemic and restrictions on people’s mental wellbeing and are doing our utmost to ensure that mental health services are there for everyone who needs them. The Government's mental health recovery action plan, backed by £500 million, will support hundreds of thousands of people with mental health issues.

All specialist and in-patient perinatal mental health services have remained available during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, having moved at pace during the early stages to be able to deliver digital and remote support.

Since 1 April 2020, GPs are required to offer a maternal postnatal consultation at 6-8 weeks after birth, focusing on a review of the mother’s physical and mental health and general wellbeing. This service has also continued throughout the pandemic.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
22nd Feb 2021
To ask the President of COP26, what progress he has made on including the Mayoral Advisory Panel in the preparations for COP26.

I have set up the UK Mayors and Regions Advisory Council with mayors and local leaders from across the UK and which had its first meeting last year. I look forward to engaging with the group on our plans for COP26 at our upcoming meeting. Local leaders will have a key role in reaching communities as part of Together for Our Planet and supporting us to make this an ‘All of Society COP’.

Alok Sharma
COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
9th Feb 2021
To ask the Right hon. Member for East Hampshire, representing the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body, what assessment the body has made of the viability of Church House as a temporary replacement for the Palace of Westminster while it undergoes essential repairs.

The Sponsor Body, working closely with the Delivery Authority, has recently carried out a Strategic Review for how the restoration programme should be carried out. The Sponsor Body looked at all viable options as part of the Strategic Review, including consideration of Church House. The Strategic Review will be published in due course.

Damian Hinds
Minister of State (Education)
24th Jun 2020
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to ensure that employers are providing reasonable workplace adjustments for autistic employees in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) places obligations on employers in relation to disabled employees. An employer is required to make reasonable adjustments to any element of a job which may place disabled people at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. It is advisable for a disabled person to discuss with an employer or educational provider what reasonable adjustments they would require, since action is dependent on employers having knowledge of a person’s disability.

The Equality and Human Right Commission enforces the Act and provide guidance on reasonable adjustments: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/multipage-guide/reasonable-adjustments-practice

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website (http://www.acas.org.uk) and telephone helpline 0300 123 1190 or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1190. Acas also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
23rd Jan 2024
To ask the Attorney General, whether her Department has had recent discussions with the Law Society on the management of Family Protection Trusts by firms of solicitors.

While the Attorney General and I, and our department, regularly engage with the legal professions, we have not discussed the management of Family Protection Trusts by firms of solicitors with the Law Society.

Robert Courts
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
20th Jan 2020
To ask the Attorney General, what plans he has to increase the amount of time victims of domestic violence are given with the Crown Prosecution Service before being called as a witness at trial.

The Crown Prosecution Service understands that attending court is often an intimidating experience for all victims of crime, including victims of domestic abuse. The Crown Prosecution Service is committed to treating all victims and witnesses at court with respect and sensitivity. Victims of domestic abuse are encouraged to take part in pre-trial familiarisation visits, which can help them understand what will happen when they attend court. Additionally, the Speaking to Witnesses at Court guidance commits the prosecutor to meet the victim before they give their evidence to explain court processes and procedures and answer questions the victim may have.

13th Dec 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Section 29 of the Procurement Act 2023, how many (a) suppliers and (b) sub-contractors who have been awarded public contracts have been reviewed by his Department on the basis that they present a potential threat to national security.

The Government takes the security of its supply chain extremely seriously and has taken action to bolster the powers to intervene where a risk to national security has been identified.

The Procurement Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023 and will strengthen the security framework around public procurement. It includes new powers to ban suppliers from specific sectors, such as areas related to defence and national security, while allowing them to continue to win procurements in non-sensitive areas. It will come into effect in Autumn 2024, after which the National Security Unit for Procurement will consider cases relating to these powers.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
12th Dec 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will make an assessment of the (a) prevalence of the use of and (b) the level of UK reliance on the supply of imported cellular internet of things modules in national security infrastructure.

I refer the Hon Member for Barnsley Central to the Minister for the Cabinet Office’s answer of 26 July 2023 (UIN 194829), noting that the Procurement Bill has now become the Procurement Act following Royal Assent on 26 October 2023.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
5th Dec 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2023 to Question 4433 on Three: Vodafone Group, if he will publish the decision of the Investment Security Unit on the proposed merger between Three and Vodafone.

Given the quasi-judicial nature of the government's investment screening powers, and for commercial and national security reasons, it would be inappropriate to comment on any specific acquisitions or the potential applicability of the NSI Act 2021. However, transparency is of course a crucial part of the NSI Act, and as such, the Government publishes notices of any Final Orders made on GOV.UK.

Nusrat Ghani
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
4th Dec 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to protect critical national infrastructure from cyber attacks.

The Government works constantly to strengthen the security and resilience of UK Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).

The Cabinet Office works closely with Lead Government Departments to understand, manage and mitigate the impacts of cyber risk to their corresponding CNI sectors. Each CNI sector's security and resilience is overseen by a Lead Government Department, and it is that Department's Minister that will hold overall accountability for that CNI sector. The UK Government also works closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the UK's national technical authority. NCSC are working with CNI operators to help them find the cyber exercising and incident management services they need from the marketplace by expanding the NCSC’s accredited scheme for Cyber Incident Response and introducing a new scheme for exercising.

At Cyber UK 2023, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that we have set specific and ambitious cyber resilience targets for all critical national infrastructure sectors to meet by 2025. This is alongside examining plans to bring more private sector businesses working in critical national infrastructure within the scope of cyber resilience regulations. This work will further our ambition to understand and manage cyber risk.

Through the National Cyber Strategy, the Government is working to improve resilience to cyber risks across the UK economy and drive organisations to take action themselves as part of a whole of society approach. Over the past year, the Cabinet Office has been progressing foundational work to support the creation of common but flexible resilience standards across CNI and do more on the assurance of CNI, including cyber assurance preparedness by 2030.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
29th Nov 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed merger between Three and Vodafone on national security.

The Deputy Prime Minister, as Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office, takes decisions under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 in a quasi-judicial capacity. The Investment Security Unit coordinates expertise from across Government so that the Secretary of State may make decisions based on the evidence. It would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases.

Nusrat Ghani
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
29th Nov 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his planned timetable is for the Investment Security Unit to decide on the proposed merger between Three and Vodafone.

The Deputy Prime Minister, as Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office, takes decisions under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 in a quasi-judicial capacity. The Investment Security Unit coordinates expertise from across Government so that the Secretary of State may make decisions based on the evidence. It would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases.

Nusrat Ghani
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
21st Nov 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what meetings he has had with (a) devolved mayoral authorities and (b) local authorities on national resilience in the last 12 months.

The previous Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Deputy Prime Minister chaired meetings of the UK Resilience Forum on the 2nd of February and 19th July 2023, to discuss risk and resilience capability building with senior stakeholders from across national, regional and local government; the private and voluntary sectors and other interested parties. More widely, the Cabinet Office engages regularly with all local partners on national resilience, as part of the Government’s commitment to implement the December 2022 UK Government Resilience Framework.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is the Lead Government Department responsible for managing the relationship between central government and local authorities.

John Glen
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
19th Oct 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department is taking steps with the insurance industry to help build resilience to large-scale cyber attacks.

Good cyber security is a first line of defence which protects industry, end users and the insurance industry alike from cyber attacks.

The Government’s approach to driving up resilience through the National Cyber Strategy includes working with market influencers, including insurers, to incentivise good cyber security practices across the economy.

The Government regularly engages with the insurance industry to consider how it can best support the growth of the cyber insurance market and help build wider economic resilience to cyber attacks.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
18th Oct 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent meetings have taken place between the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and devolved administrations on national resilience.

The Government holds regular resilience meetings with the Devolved Administrations. These include the UK Resilience Forum. The Deputy Prime Minister and I co-chaired the most recent meeting in July. I also chaired a Ministerial forum in Edinburgh in June with Devolved Administration colleagues to discuss resilience priorities and our respective progress against them. Cabinet Office officials also meet regularly with the Devolved Administrations on matters of national resilience at all levels of seniority to ensure we are coordinating our approach.

27th Mar 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on how many occasions the National Science and Technology Council has met since 25 October 2022.

It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.

23rd Feb 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions the Prime Minister has had with his Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan since December 2022.

The Prime Minister and other Ministers regularly engage with a wide range of colleagues across government, including diplomatic staff.

23rd Jan 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department provided support to the Rt Hon Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip for his visit to Ukraine in January 2023.

I refer the hon. Member to PQ 129842.

12th Dec 2022
To ask the Prime Minister, what recent assessment he has made for the implications of his Department's policies of the effectiveness of the (a) the protocol and (b) the precedence of resignation honours lists.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 26 October 2022, Official Report, House of Lords, HL2839.

Rishi Sunak
Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
12th Dec 2022
To ask the Prime Minister, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing minimum qualifying criteria for a Prime Minister's tenure in office regarding resignation honours lists.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 26 October 2022, Official Report, House of Lords, HL2839.

Rishi Sunak
Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
17th Oct 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants were working on the review of the Integrated Review on 17 October 2022.

The Integrated Review (IR) refresh process is being run by a joint No10-Cabinet Office team under the leadership of the Prime Minister’s Special Adviser for Foreign Affairs and the National Security Adviser. The core team comprises 18 FTE civil servants, supported by a virtual team across Cabinet Office who are assisting the IR refresh as part of their roles.

The core No10-CO team is also coordinating a wider government effort drawing on policy expertise from across key departments, meaning that a higher number of civil servants in total will have some interaction with the process.

Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
17th Oct 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to publish the National Resilience Strategy.

The Government intends to publish a resilience strategy this Autumn.

Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
13th Oct 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the future of the National Security Council before it was disbanded and replaced by the Foreign Policy and Security Council.

I can confirm that neither I, nor my immediate predecessors (including Edward Argar and Michael Ellis) have had any conversations regarding the future of the National Security Council with the Secretary of State for Defence.

Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
18th Jul 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total cost to the public purse was of the Prime Minister’s visit to RAF Coningsby on 14 July 2022.

The Prime Minister accompanied pilots on a routine training flight and, therefore, no extra cost was incurred.

13th Sep 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what definition his Department plans to use to define venues that will be required to make people show covid-19 vaccine certificates for entrance; when his Department plans to publish that definition; and what plans his Department has to provide financial support to those venues required (a) to implement and (b) enforce those entrance checks.

At the request of the Prime Minister, the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, led a review into COVID-status certification, which concluded in July.

As published in the COVID-19 Response: Autumn and Winter Plan on 14 September, in order to help businesses prepare their own contingency plans, the Government will shortly publish more detail about the proposed certification regime that would be introduced as part of Plan B.

7th Sep 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to increase the budget for the Office for Veterans' Affairs; and if he will make a statement.

HMG has recently announced an additional £5 million in funding to assist veteran charities in addition to the £3 million already invested into mental health support through NHS England’s Op Courage. This additional funding is provided with the aim of ensuring that veterans are able to receive the support they may need. The OVA continues to engage with other departments and external stakeholders, including charities to deliver the Strategy for our Veterans and improve coordination of veterans’ work across Government.

We are not prepared to comment on ongoing budget discussions during this spending review period. However, the Office for Veterans' Affairs continues to increase in size and capability, and is making progress in delivering the Strategy for our Veterans. The Office for Veterans’ Affairs has all the necessary resources and support from the rest of government to continue its work making the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran.

Leo Docherty
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
16th Jun 2021
To ask the Prime Minister, if he will meet with the M10 network of Metro Mayors.

Details of my public engagements will be announced in the usual way. We want to empower local people to make decisions in areas that matter to them – on infrastructure, transport, housing – and for their future to be in their hands. Last month’s Metro Mayor elections built on the biggest transfer of powers to local areas since the Second World War. And we will introduce a Levelling Up White Paper too – allowing every community across the country to have more local control and boosting livelihoods across the country as we recover from the pandemic.

17th May 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the oral evidence session on 8 December 2020 of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committe,: The Government’s Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission HC892, what steps his Department is taking to ensure reviews remain independent; and how review topics will be selected.

The Government remains absolutely committed to looking at the broader aspects of the constitution and the relationship between the Government, Parliament and the courts as pledged in our Manifesto. As set out to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, we are taking forward this work through a number of separate workstreams to ensure all policy development is given the utmost consideration.

Of those workstreams which have already been announced, two of these have been subject to independent review including an expert panel. These are the Independent Review of Administrative Law chaired by Lord Faulkes which presented its findings to Government earlier this year, and the current Independent Review of the Human Rights Act chaired by Sir Peter Gross.

We will consider the composition and focus of future workstreams carefully including whether these should be the subject of an independent review.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
17th May 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the answer from the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice to Q90 on 8 December 2020 during the oral evidence session of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, The Government’s Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission HC892, for what reason his Department decided against establishing a Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission.

The Government remains absolutely committed to looking at the broader aspects of the constitution and the relationship between the Government, Parliament and the courts as pledged in our Manifesto. As set out to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, we are taking forward this work through a number of separate workstreams to ensure all policy development is given the utmost consideration.

Of those workstreams which have already been announced, two of these have been subject to independent review including an expert panel. These are the Independent Review of Administrative Law chaired by Lord Faulkes which presented its findings to Government earlier this year, and the current Independent Review of the Human Rights Act chaired by Sir Peter Gross.

We will consider the composition and focus of future workstreams carefully including whether these should be the subject of an independent review.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
17th May 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the planned timetable is for publishing the levelling up White Paper announced in the Queen's Speech 2021.

Levelling up is at the heart of the Government’s agenda to build back better after the pandemic and to deliver for citizens in every part of the UK. The Government will publish a landmark Levelling Up White Paper later this year, setting out bold new policy interventions to improve livelihoods and opportunity in all parts of the UK. The Levelling Up Unit will be resourced in line with the PM’s ambitions for this agenda.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
17th May 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants will be assigned to the levelling up task force.

Levelling up is at the heart of the Government’s agenda to build back better after the pandemic and to deliver for citizens in every part of the UK. The Government will publish a landmark Levelling Up White Paper later this year, setting out bold new policy interventions to improve livelihoods and opportunity in all parts of the UK. The Levelling Up Unit will be resourced in line with the PM’s ambitions for this agenda.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
16th Apr 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many women are employed by construction companies with Government contracts.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not usually disclosed.

The Government fully recognises the importance of diversity and acknowledges that women are currently underrepresented in many occupations in the Construction and Built Environment sectors. The Construction Leadership Council recently published a Skills Plan for the sector that sets out a series of clear actions and commitments for both industry and Government to help tackle this.

We expect all suppliers in all sectors to lead by example by upholding the values of the Supplier Code of Conduct, including supporting key government corporate social responsibility policy areas, such as diversity and inclusion, sustainability, apprenticeships and skills development and addressing the gender pay gap.

Through our policy to extend the use of the Social Value Act, effective from 1 January, all major central government procurements will, where appropriate, explicitly evaluate social value.

The information on the number of women employed by construction companies with Government contracts is not held centrally.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
16th Apr 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) other Cabinet colleagues on the (i) feasibility and (ii) potential effect of introducing a gender quota requirement as part of Government contracts to help tackle sexism in the construction sector.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not usually disclosed.

The Government fully recognises the importance of diversity and acknowledges that women are currently underrepresented in many occupations in the Construction and Built Environment sectors. The Construction Leadership Council recently published a Skills Plan for the sector that sets out a series of clear actions and commitments for both industry and Government to help tackle this.

We expect all suppliers in all sectors to lead by example by upholding the values of the Supplier Code of Conduct, including supporting key government corporate social responsibility policy areas, such as diversity and inclusion, sustainability, apprenticeships and skills development and addressing the gender pay gap.

Through our policy to extend the use of the Social Value Act, effective from 1 January, all major central government procurements will, where appropriate, explicitly evaluate social value.

The information on the number of women employed by construction companies with Government contracts is not held centrally.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
24th Mar 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reducing the Office for Veterans' Affairs budget on (a) veterans and (b) their dependants; and if he will make a statement.

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs’ budget has not been confirmed and the Cabinet Office budget for 2021/22 will be published in due course. Support for veterans is funded through a variety of Government channels, including the OVA and individual departments delivering veterans’ services. This year, more funding than ever before has been made available to veterans’ mental health services in NHS England, and unprecedented support has been offered to the service charity sector.

The OVA works to champion veterans across government, driving new approaches and policies in areas that will improve the support the nation offers veterans over the long term, in line with the commitments made by all four nations of the Union in the Strategy for our Veterans. Examples of this are through better use of data to drive change, improved digitisation to make services easier to access and navigate, developing a coherent research strategy to improve our understanding of issues affecting veterans and to improve collaboration across the veterans sector.

Johnny Mercer
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
24th Mar 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to reduce the budget of the Office for Veterans' Affairs; and if he will make a statement.

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs’ budget has not been confirmed and the Cabinet Office budget for 2021/22 will be published in due course. Support for veterans is funded through a variety of Government channels, including the OVA and individual departments delivering veterans’ services. This year, more funding than ever before has been made available to veterans’ mental health services in NHS England, and unprecedented support has been offered to the service charity sector.

The OVA works to champion veterans across government, driving new approaches and policies in areas that will improve the support the nation offers veterans over the long term, in line with the commitments made by all four nations of the Union in the Strategy for our Veterans. Examples of this are through better use of data to drive change, improved digitisation to make services easier to access and navigate, developing a coherent research strategy to improve our understanding of issues affecting veterans and to improve collaboration across the veterans sector.

Johnny Mercer
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
9th Mar 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to relocate civil servants to South Yorkshire.

The Government has committed to ensuring that the administration of Government is less Whitehall-centric with 22,000 civil service roles relocating to the regions and nations of the UK by the end of the decade. As you are aware, HMT and MHCLG both announced their relocation plans in the last few weeks. The Places for Growth programme is working with departments on their relocation plans to ensure a broad geography of the UK is benefiting from this agenda. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
8th Mar 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the announcement made in Budget 2021 on civil service relocation, what additional plans the Government has to relocate more civil servants outside of London; and when he plans to publish details of those proposed relocations.

The Government has committed to ensuring that the administration of Government is less Whitehall-centric with 22,000 civil service roles relocating to the regions and nations of the UK by the end of the decade. As you are aware, HMT and MHCLG both announced their relocation plans in the last few weeks. The Places for Growth programme is working with departments on their relocation plans to ensure a broad geography of the UK is benefiting from this agenda. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
23rd Nov 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the announcement in the March 2020 Budget on the relocation of civil servants, what recent progress his Department has made on relocating civil servants; and if he will publish the criteria used to select potential sites for relocations.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by myself and the Minister without Portfolio to questions on 12 November.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
23rd Nov 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of relocating civil service roles from London on regional inequality.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by myself and the Minister without Portfolio to questions on 12 November.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
3rd Jul 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to review the policy of enabling foreign (a) governments and (b) companies to invest in critical national infrastructure.

The Government considers national security implications arising from foreign investment on a case-by-case basis.

On 22 June this Government laid secondary legislation to amend the Enterprise Act 2002, strengthening the Government’s powers to intervene in certain investments made into the UK.

The Government will also bring forward the National Security and Investment Bill when Parliamentary time allows. As announced in the Queen’s Speech, the Bill will upgrade the Government’s powers to scrutinise investments and consider the risks that can arise from hostile parties acquiring ownership of, or control over, businesses or other entities and assets that have national security implications.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
11th Jun 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that face coverings are (a) widely available to the public, (b) affordable and (c) effective in reducing the transmission of covid-19.

Further to the answer given to PQs 48885, 48886, 48887 on 14 May 2020, the Government has published guidance on staying safe outside the home during the COVID-19 pandemic:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-safe-outside-your-home/staying-safe-outside-your-home

The guidance includes information on the use of face coverings. We are asking people to make their own face coverings at home, using scarves or other textile items and we have published guidance to help illustrate the process.

In terms of the wider production of PPE for use for medical purposes, Lord Deighton has been appointed to lead the national effort to boost PPE production, and also support the scaling up of engineering efforts for small companies capable of contributing to supplies.

18th May 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on allowing 180-day visa-free tourist travel for UK citizens in the Schengen area.

Arrangements for UK nationals crossing the Schengen Area border will remain as now for the duration of the transition period. Thereafter, the EU will grant UK nationals visa free access for short-term visits, subject to reciprocity. This means that UK business visitors and tourists will not need a visa when travelling to the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days in every 180-day period.

We are willing to discuss with the EU how to facilitate crossing of our respective borders for legitimate travel purposes.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
29th Apr 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to extend the death in service benefit to families of all key workers during the covid-19 outbreak.

We recognise the extraordinary efforts of frontline workers, who are going above and beyond to ensure people get the support they need in these incredibly challenging times. The government will continue to review the support provided to public sector workers on the front line of responding to this crisis.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
20th Apr 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans his Department has to add security officers responsible for ensuring the safety of buildings and their contents to the list of key workers during the covid-19 outbreak.

Our message to the British public is clear: stay at home, in order to protect the NHS and save lives. The position remains, as outlined on gov.uk, that everyone who can work from home should do so.

Where that is not possible, people should go into work where it is safe and they are not symptomatic, isolating or shielding. Relevant guidance including from Public Health England should be followed.

In terms of the provision of education for the children of certain key workers, it is already the case that security officers and private security workers working in, for example, hospitals and social care could be eligible as long as "their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service". This is set out here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

The Government has placed restrictions on the operations of certain businesses as part of the strategy to ensure people stay at home and away from others. Separate guidance has been published on this and is also available on gov.uk.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
28th Jan 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the potential increase in risk to national security of critical national infrastructure being owned by foreign governments and companies.

The Government undertakes regular reviews of our preparedness for the risks facing the UK through the National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA) and National Resilience Capabilities Programme (NRCP). This includes the risk from foreign investment into critical national infrastructure.

In addition, the Government considers any national security implications arising from foreign investment on a case-by-case basis, including in investments in Critical National Infrastructure. The Government’s approach is predicated on a risk assessment based on the specific circumstances of the case.

The Government’s current powers to intervene in mergers that may raise national security concerns are contained in the Enterprise Act (2002), which establishes key parts of the UK’s competition regime. The vast majority of transactions raise no national security concerns and the Government expects to quickly rule out national security risks in most cases, allowing parties to proceed with certainty.

Oliver Dowden
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
12th Dec 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what her planned timetable is for publishing guidance on the implementation of the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023.

As part of our efforts to communicate the changes which are being introduced under the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023, the Government will be producing guidance. The guidance will be published in the New Year to support the commencement of the regulations.

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)