Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, what the purpose of the meeting held in the gardens of Downing Street on 15 May 2020 was.
Answered by Boris Johnson
I refer the Hon. Member to the Terms of Reference for the Cabinet Office investigation, which have been deposited in the Library of the House. It would not be appropriate to pre-empt that that process.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, if (a) he or (b) Number 10 officials will meet with the Metropolitan Police to facilitate a police investigation into allegations of gatherings in Number 10 offices during December 2020.
Answered by Boris Johnson
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given by the Paymaster General to 90509.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, whether the Cabinet Secretary will be given access to (a) mobile phone messages and (b) other electronic communication relevant to his investigation into the gatherings held at Number 10 in 2020 during Tier 3 restrictions.
Answered by Boris Johnson
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given by the Paymaster General to 90509.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, whether the Metropolitan police maintain records of visitors to Number 10 when they pass through security screening.
Answered by Boris Johnson
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given by the Paymaster General to 90472.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the scope of the Cabinet Secretary's investigation into social events in Downing Street will include the costs to the public purse of any catering and alcohol supplied for the attendees.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Terms of Reference for the Cabinet Office’s investigations into staff gatherings have been published on GOV.UK and deposited in the libraries of both Houses.
It would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of an ongoing process. The Government has committed that the findings of the investigations will be made public in due course.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, which gatherings are currently under investigation by the Cabinet Secretary as of 9 December 2021.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Terms of Reference for the Cabinet Office’s investigations into staff gatherings have been published on GOV.UK and deposited in the libraries of both Houses.
It would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of an ongoing process. The Government has committed that the findings of the investigations will be made public in due course.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer to the Question from the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green at Prime Minister's Questions on 8 December 2021, if he will instruct the Cabinet Secretary to undertake an inquiry into allegations of an additional party held on 13 November 2020.
Answered by Michael Ellis
I refer the Hon Member to the answers given by my Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister's Questions on 8 December and those given by me in the House on 9 December. Copies of the terms of reference for the Cabinet Secretary’s investigations have been placed in the Libraries of the House and are also available on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he has taken in response to the recommendations from the Interim Operational Reviews of the Covid-19 National Foresight Group.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Government Ministers and officials working on the response to COVID-19 regularly meet with a range of stakeholder groups to learn from them and to consider their recommendations.
The Government’s decision-making has always, and will continue to be, guided by the relevant data, science and evidence available at that time.
The Government is reviewing the recommendations from the C19 National Foresight Group Interim Operational Reviews and is also considering the findings from the Lincolnshire Interim Operational Review - also published by the group.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has met the National Foresight Group to discuss their reports on the Government response to covid-19 and the recommendations made in those reports.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Government Ministers and officials working on the response to COVID-19 regularly meet with a range of stakeholder groups to learn from them and to consider their recommendations.
The Government’s decision-making has always, and will continue to be, guided by the relevant data, science and evidence available at that time.
The Government is reviewing the recommendations from the C19 National Foresight Group Interim Operational Reviews and is also considering the findings from the Lincolnshire Interim Operational Review - also published by the group.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the readiness of each local resilience forum to respond to future emergencies.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) have well established plans to respond to emergencies and routinely review their preparedness.
The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (CCA), and the associated Regulations, place statutory duties on Category 1 responders (those organisations at the core of the response to most emergencies including the emergency services, local authorities, NHS bodies) to conduct risk assessments and maintain emergency plans. Duties under the CCA rest with responders but can be exercised through the LRF.
The Cabinet Office's Civil Contingencies Secretariat has developed National Resilience Standards for LRFs which are intended to establish a consistent and progressive means for LRFs and their constituent local responder organisations to: assure their capabilities, assure their overall level of readiness, and guide continuous improvement against mandatory requirements.
The Department for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities have a network of regionally-based resilience advisers who offer support and challenge to LRFs on their preparedness for the range of emergencies that could occur in their respective local areas.