Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2024 to Question 24423 on Undocumented Migrants: France, whether the payments made by his Department to the French authorities for their part in delivering the UK-France Joint Leader's Declaration are published as part of his Department's monthly transparency data on spending over £25,000.

Answered by Michael Tomlinson

The Home Office does not comment on the information requested due to the sensitivity of the agreement and the payments.

The Home Office continues to work collaboratively with our French counterparts in relation to preventing illegal migration and therefore respects agreements made regarding transparency data.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in what way the purpose of the contract agreed by his Department with Ipsos Mori on 20 March 2024, procurement reference 398437/1351727, differs from the purpose of the contract agreed with the same company on 5 June 2023, procurement reference 336036/1227987.

Answered by Mike Freer

The contract with procurement reference 336036/1227987 was delayed due to difficulties with finding a survey design that would accurately answer the research question, and eventually the contract expired before a workable design was agreed.

A new contract – reference 398437/1351727 – was awarded to Ipsos on the basis of agreeing a different survey design, which is more likely to produce usable results.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the press notice entitled Clean-up scheme expanded nationwide to tackle anti-social behaviour, published on 22 March 2024, how many offenders in England and Wales were ordered to carry out litter-clearing activities in support of the Great British Spring Clean from 17 March to 2 April 2024; and how many hours of litter-clearing activity were completed by those offenders.

Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the contract agreed by his Department with Enterprise Rent-A-Car on 19 April 2024, procurement reference CCVH23A01, which public bodies are covered by the scope of that contract; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that contract on the number of (a) journeys that will be made and (b) miles that will be travelled by hire car rather than public transport.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The contract with Enterprise Rent-A-Car covers the Cabinet Office and its Agencies.

The Cabinet Office is obliged to report car hire journeys and the miles travelled when that hire car journey meets the criteria as laid down in the Greening Government Commitments. However, the department favours travel by public transport where most practical. Cabinet Office policy is that vehicle hire should only be used if travelling by car is deemed to be the most economical travel method for legitimate business journeys, and is cheaper than public transport. When hiring a vehicle, drivers should select the smallest and cheapest vehicle suitable for the journey.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the specification of requirements for the contracts agreed by his Department on (a) 2 October 2023 with Home Connections Lettings Ltd., procurement reference 433189/1352384, (b) 21 March 2024 with Bunnyfoot Ltd., procurement reference 407485/1352441, (c) 28 March 2024 with Deloitte LLP, procurement reference 417551/1349771 and (d) 1 April 2024 with Faculty Science Ltd., Zinc Network and Adam Smith International Ltd., procurement reference 376900/1351150.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

Summary descriptions of the aim of each agreement have been published on Contracts Finder on gov.uk. These can be found at:

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 18 July 2023 to Question 193876, when he plans to publish the (a) content from the deliverables, (b) details of the experiment and (c) findings from the survey conducted by Ipsos Mori.

Answered by Mike Freer

The work under the contract with procurement reference 336036/1227987 was delayed due to difficulties with finding a survey design that would accurately answer the research question, and eventually the contract expired before a workable design was agreed.

The department is continuing to work to finalise a revised research design. The survey has not yet been conducted but the expectation is that results will be available later this year.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Minister without Portfolio's article of 12 May 2024 in The Sunday Telegraph, when her Department expects to terminate its contract with Vercida Ltd., procurement reference 103841; and whether a notice period will be required under the provisions of that contract.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

DCMS’s current contract with Vercida is set to expire on 1 October 2024 and continuation of the service will be considered at that point in light of the Cabinet Office guidance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Minister without Portfolio's article of 12 May 2024 in The Sunday Telegraph, when the DVLA is expected to terminate its contract with Political Engagement Ltd., procurement reference 430567/1349023; and whether a notice period is required under the provisions of clause 11.3 of that contract.

Answered by Guy Opperman

No monies have been paid under this contract, which is a call-off contract for conference attendance. It can be cancelled at 90 days notice.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average waiting time was for individuals submitting an IHT400 form to HMRC between 1 January to 30 April 2024 to receive a unique code to enable them to apply for probate; and how many individuals have waited for (a) one to two, (b) two to three, (c) three to four, (d) four to five, (e) five to six and (e) more than six months since submitting their IHT400 form to receive the unique code from HMRC as of 8 May 2024.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)

HMRC prioritises requests for IHT reference numbers and the follow up IHT400 forms submitted to set up an IHT account. Between 1 January and 30 April 2024 HMRC have exceeded its service standard for issuing unique codes for Probate cases where the correct tax amount has been accounted for. The service standard is to process 80% of these requests within 15 working days.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Minister without Portfolio's article of 12 May 2024 in The Sunday Telegraph, when his Department is expected to terminate its contract with High Fliers Ltd., procurement reference CSR/187; and whether a notice period will be required under the provisions of Clause 11.3 of that contract.

Answered by John Glen - Shadow Paymaster General

There should be no external EDI spend in the Civil Service unless cleared and authorised by Ministers.

The contract with High Fliers Ltd. is due to expire on 31 August 2024. We do not intend to terminate it early.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the contract agreed by his Department with Enterprise Rent-A-Car on 19 April 2024, procurement reference CCVH23A01, if he will publish the specification of requirements set out in schedule 20 of that contract.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

It is Cabinet Office policy to publish Contracts with a value of over £10,000 on Contracts Finder within 30 days of Contract Award. Crown Commercial Service, Cabinet Office’s procurement arm, has published the Contract Schedules in accordance with the publication timescales and the information is now available.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2024 to Question 25190 on Ministry of Justice: Ipsos MORI, what the deliverables are for contract reference 398437/1351727 contained in Annex F of that contract.

Answered by Mike Freer

The supplier is contracted to conduct cognitive interviews, a pilot survey, and the finalised survey pursuant to the new survey design and agreed requirements.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Minister without Portfolio's article of 12 May 2024 in The Sunday Telegraph, whether the Construction Industry Training Board has been instructed by her Department to cancel its procurement process for a provider of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training, procurement reference BIP830543659.

Answered by Luke Hall

There should be no external equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) spend in the Civil Service unless cleared and authorised by Ministers.

The provider contract for equality diversity and inclusion is due to expire on 31 March 2026. We do not intend to terminate it early.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2024 to Question 25195 on Inheritance Tax, for what reason he has not provided the requested data for the number of people waiting for (a) one to two, (b) two to three, (c) three to four, (d) four to five, (e) five to six and (e) more than six months since submitting their IHT400 form to receive the unique code from HMRC as of 8 May 2024.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)

HMRC's service level agreement is to process 80% of Inheritance Tax forms within 15 working days. From January to April 2024, their data shows they met or exceeded this target, with most people receiving their codes within the 15-day timeframe. However, HMRC does not provide specifics on longer wait times beyond 15 working days, such as how many people waited 1-2 months or more after submitting forms. While most individuals received codes on time during this period, the exact breakdown for longer waits is not publicly available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2024 to Question 25812 on Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Contracts and with reference to the Minister without Portfolio's article of 12 May 2024 in The Sunday Telegraph, whether the DVLA intends to cancel the contract with Political Engagement Ltd.

Answered by Guy Opperman

The DVLA is reviewing a range of commitments, in line with Cabinet Office guidance. There has been no spending under this particular contract.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's publication of spending over £500 using a government procurement card from October to December 2023 on 17 May 2024, for what purpose payments were made of (a) £662.70 to Paul on 10 October 2023, (b) £2,157.60 to Revolution Events on 6 November 2023, (c) £865.64 to Hilton International on 16 November 2023, and (d) £1,023.02 to Orbis Coffee on 17 November 2023.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

We can confirm that the only information we hold regarding the purpose of these payments is related to the provision of catering, conference attendance and accommodation.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's publication of spending over £500 using a government procurement card from October to December 2023 on 17 May 2024, for what purpose payments totalling £3,417 were made to Mons Hospitality between 22 November and 9 December 2023.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

We can confirm that the only information we hold regarding the purpose of these payments to Mons Hospitality over the timeframe stated is related to the provision of food and drink/catering at COP28

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Minister without Portfolio's article of 12 May 2024 in the Sunday Telegraph, when he expects the Office for Nuclear Regulation to cancel its contract with Lisa Ellis Training for diversity and inclusion training, procurement reference ONR/T974; and whether a notice period will be required under the provisions of that contract.

Answered by Paul Maynard

The ONR contract with Lisa Ellis of Bespoke Business Solutions for diversity and inclusion training was implemented in January 2024 for a period of three years to deliver 24 courses per annum with a total value of £36k over the three-year period. ONR has no plans to terminate this contract.

As a public corporation, ONR sits outside the civil service and is not subject to the Guidance on Diversity and Inclusion and Impartiality for Civil Servants, published on 14 May.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's publications entitled DSIT: spending over £500, October 2023 and DSIT: spending over £500, November 2023, published on 17 May 2024 for what reason payments of (a) £794.50 were made to Trove on 18 October 2023 and (b) £700 were made to Blue Orchid Hotels on 27 November 2023.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

The Department spent a) £794.50 at Trove on catering for 70 people attending an all-day staff training event held off-site and b) £700 with Blue Orchid Hotels on the hire of a venue and equipment for an all-day staff training event for 100 people.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Minister without Portfolio's article of 12 May 2024 in The Sunday Telegraph, when the Equality and Human Rights Commission is expected to withdraw the requirement in their contract with Be Applied Ltd., procurement reference EHRC 2021-29, for organisational wide diversity reporting; and whether the projected cost of that contract up to 24 January 2025 will be reduced through the withdrawal of that requirement.

Answered by Maria Caulfield

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Minister without Portfolio's article of 12 May 2024 in The Sunday Telegraph, when her Department intends to withdraw the requirement set out in Clause 4.6 of her Department's contract with VSC Plus Limited (The Staff College), procurement reference 352575/1322575; and whether the projected cost of the contract up to 29 December 2028 will be reduced through the withdrawal of that requirement.

Answered by David Johnston

There should be no external equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) spend in the Civil Service unless cleared and authorised by Ministers.

The contract with VSC Plus Limited (The Staff College) is due to expire on 31 December 2026. We do not intend to terminate it early.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Minister without Portfolio's article of 12 May 2024 in The Sunday Telegraph, when the UK Infrastructure Bank is expected to cancel its contract with Constellia Public Ltd, procurement reference CO313; and whether a notice period will be required under the provisions of that contract.

Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Exchequer Secretary (Treasury)

The UK Infrastructure Bank is an operationally independent arms-length body. Civil Service EDI expenditure guidance does not extend to organisations outside the Civil Service or ALBs not employing Civil Servants.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Minister without Portfolio's article of 12 May 2024 in The Sunday Telegraph, when the Royal Botanic Gardens is expected to terminate its contract with Red Snapper Ltd., procurement reference BIP829617988; and whether a notice period will be required under the provisions of that contract.

Answered by Mark Spencer

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is an operationally independent arm’s length body (ALB). Civil Service EDI expenditure guidance does not extend to organisations outside the Civil Service or ALBs not employing Civil Servants.

The contract with Red Snapper Ltd is due to expire on 21 February 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Minister without Portfolio's article of 12 May 2024 in The Sunday Telegraph, when her Department is expected to terminate its contract with the Prince's Trust, order reference C191156; and whether a notice period is required under the provisions of clause 10.2.2 of that contract.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.