Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on his Department.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In addition, an estimated 260,000 jobs are supported by the auto industry in the wider economy. The Government remains focused on making sure British businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible.
Government is continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains. My Department will continue to support the ongoing negotiations with the US, led by the Department for Business and Trade.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what new Government contracts have been awarded to Fujitsu since 5 July 2024; and what the value was of those contracts.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
In January 2024, Fujitsu said it would withdraw from bidding for contracts with new Government customers until the Post Office Horizon inquiry concludes – and it would only bid for work with existing Government customers where it already has an existing customer relationship with them, or where there is an agreed need for Fujitsu’s skills and capabilities. Fujitsu's bid approach is detailed in correspondence deposited in the Houses of Parliament libraries on 4 March 2024 (DEP2024-0247).
Details of public sector awards are publicly available on Contracts Finder & Find a Tender services. In addition to extensions available under Fujitsu’s existing contracts, Contracts Finder and Find a Tender provide details of twelve new Fujitsu contracts since July 2024. These awards are compliant with Fujitsu's commitment not to bid for work with new customers. The majority are for services already provided by Fujitsu and were put in place as a direct award to ensure continuity of services whilst competitive procurements are being set up.
The Government is determined to hold those responsible for the Horizon scandal to account, and will continue to make rapid progress on compensation and redress. Fujitsu’s role in Horizon is one of the issues which is being reviewed by Sir Wyn Williams’s statutory inquiry. The Cabinet Office has been monitoring the situation, in addition to continuing its usual monitoring of Fujitsu as a strategic supplier. The Government will carefully consider volume 1 of the report, to be published on 8 July, which is limited in scope. Once the inquiry establishes the full facts, we will review its final report and consider any further action, as appropriate.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's National Procurement Policy Statement published on 13 February 2025, whether he has made an estimate of compliance costs for contracting authorities in implementing the (a) updated statement and (b) the Employment Rights Bill.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Contracting authorities must have regard to the NPPS when undertaking their procurement activities, as set out in the Procurement Act 2023. An Impact Assessment in relation to the Procurement Act was published in May 2022 and can be found at https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/46429/documents/1767. Impact assessments for the Employment Rights Bill led by the Department for Business and Trade can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Procurement Policy Statement published on 13 February 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) the updated statement and (b) the Employment Rights Bill on public sector procurement timelines.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Contracting authorities must have regard to the NPPS when undertaking their procurement activities, as set out in the Procurement Act 2023. An Impact Assessment in relation to the Procurement Act was published in May 2022 and can be found at https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/46429/documents/1767. Impact assessments for the Employment Rights Bill led by the Department for Business and Trade can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what training programmes his Department has put in place to help procurement officials navigate the (a) recently updated National Procurement Policy Statement and the (b) Employment Rights Bill.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Contracting authorities must have regard to the NPPS when undertaking their procurement activities, as set out in the Procurement Act 2023. An Impact Assessment in relation to the Procurement Act was published in May 2022 and can be found at https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/46429/documents/1767. Impact assessments for the Employment Rights Bill led by the Department for Business and Trade can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many public procurement contracts issued by the Crown Commercial Service have included mandatory commitments to trade union recognition since July 2024.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Individual contracting authorities are responsible for defining their relationships with trade unions.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether their Department offers its staff shared parental leave from their first working day.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
To qualify for statutory Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Shared Parental Pay (ShPP), both parents (mother/primary adopter and their partner/secondary adopter) must meet an economic activity test relating to employment and earnings and an individual test relating to duration of service as well as having main caring responsibility for the child.
In line with legislation, to be eligible for SPL Cabinet Office policy requires each parent to have at least 26 weeks continuous employment with their respective employer by the end of the 15th week, before the child’s due date or adoption matching date. They must also still be working for the same respective employer when they intend to take the leave.
To be eligible for SPL and ShPP at the statutory rate, an employee must have been employed within the Civil Service continuously during the 26 week period before the end of the 15th week before the child’s due date or adoption matching date.
If an employee has been employed in the Civil Service for this duration, although not in the Cabinet Office, they may still be eligible for SPL and ShPP so long as they meet all the qualifying criteria.
As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in line with the Government’s legislation on employment rights.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many applications his Department received for the Second Permanent Secretary for European Union and International Economic Affairs role advertised in November 2024.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Applications have closed for the Cabinet Office Second Permanent Secretary for European Union and International Economic Affairs role. As was practice under the previous administration we do not comment on competitions underway.