Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason his Department allowed Vesa Equity to increase its stake in Royal Mail group.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Secretary of State 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 the detail of national security assessments.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with representatives of the Infected Blood Inquiry on (a) ongoing funding for the support scheme payments and (b) financial settlements recommended in Sir Robert Francis' report.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government has committed to providing support for those infected and affected. Ex-gratia support has been provided to those affected by this issue since 1988. No policy discussions have taken place with the statutory Inquiry, that is independent.
As the responsible Minister for the Infected Blood Inquiry, I announced earlier this week the publication of the study by Sir Robert Francis QC into a framework of compensation for people directly affected by infected blood. Sir Robert will give evidence about his work to the Infected Blood Inquiry on 11th and 12th July. The government is considering Sir Robert’s recommendations.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants have been working from home more than 50 per cent of their working hours by constituency as of 24 May 2022.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
This is not information that is centrally held.
Civil servants played a vital role in supporting the Government’s response to the pandemic, alongside delivering essential public services.
Following the removal of all pandemic restrictions, I have written to departments to underline the importance of workplace attendance. Civil servants, who had necessarily been working from home during the pandemic, are increasingly returning to regular working in the office
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants were working from home by constituency on average during 2020.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
This is not information that is centrally held.
Civil servants played a vital role in supporting the Government’s response to the pandemic, alongside delivering essential public services.
Following the removal of all pandemic restrictions, I have written to departments to underline the importance of workplace attendance. Civil servants, who had necessarily been working from home during the pandemic, are increasingly returning to regular working in the office
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many external consultants have been hired by each Government department since 2020; and what the cost to the public purse has been of those consultants in each of those years.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
Government Departments draw on the advice of external specialists for a range of services. Consultancy includes staff who provide objective advice relating to strategy, structure, management or operations of an organisation and may include the identification of options with recommendations.
The Consultancy Playbook was published in May 2021 alongside the Sourcing Playbook, to provide additional guidance when sourcing consultancy services. This supports our agenda to commission and engage with consultants more effectively, achieving better outcomes, better value for money, and improved civil service capability through the transferral of knowledge and skills.
Consultancy is bought as a service, not by the number of individuals required, therefore the number of consultants hired is not held centrally. Consultancy spend, including ALB spend, is published in departmental annual reports and accounts and is reproduced below.
Department |
| 2019/20 |
| 2020/21 |
BEIS |
| 55,700,000 |
| 137,300,000 |
CO |
| 38,841,000 |
| 79,779,000 |
DCMS |
| 32,900,000 |
| 46,100,000 |
DFE |
| 12,700,000 |
| 8,700,000 |
DEFRA |
| 33,299,000 |
| 36,337,000 |
DFT |
| 168,390,654 |
| 175,720,840 |
DHSC |
| 290,206,000 |
| 485,997,000 |
DIT |
| 897,000 |
| 5,782,000 |
DWP |
| 28,500,000 |
| 29,000,000 |
FCDO |
| 2,936,902 |
| 2,742,044 |
HMRC |
| 1,700,000 |
| 8,600,000 |
HMT |
| 18,000,000 |
| 17,000,000 |
HO |
| 33,700,000 |
| 32,402,000 |
MHCLG |
| 5,229,000 |
| 20,148,000 |
MOD |
| 134,627,000 |
| 109,668,000 |
MOJ |
| 14,962,000 |
| 15,742,000 |
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions (a) he or (b) Ministers in his Department have had with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury regarding ongoing funding of the Infected Blood support scheme payments; and what discussions his Department has had with interested parties regarding financial settlements recommended by Sir Robert Francis in his report.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Ongoing funding of the Infected Blood support scheme payments is a matter for the Department of Health and Social Care.
I recognise how important it is that the views of infected and affected people are reflected in Sir Robert’s study. It is for this reason that infected and affected core participants to the Inquiry, and their Recognised Legal Representatives were consulted not only on the Terms of Reference of the study, but also contributed significantly to Sir Robert’s information gathering process. It is my intention to publish the Study and the Government response, in time for the Inquiry and its core participants to consider them before Sir Robert gives evidence to the Inquiry.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the chair of the Infected Blood compensation framework has been given budget boundaries for that framework.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The purpose of this study is to provide the Paymaster General with advice on potential options for compensation framework design and solutions for victims of infected blood. Following public consultation, the study’s terms of reference will be finalised. It is important that the independent reviewer, Sir Robert Francis, is able to examine all options and design solutions. No budget boundaries have been set in respect of his considerations.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Government will introduce a full bereavement pension for people affected by the contaminated blood scandal in England.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Work is currently underway across the government on a number of infected blood issues. I will update the House shortly on progress.
The (then) Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster wrote to the Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry on 2 July 2018, approving legal support funding for people infected, and their families. Details of how to apply for funding are on the Inquiry’s website - Statement of Approach: Legal Representation at Public Expense.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to ensure victims and their families involved in the contaminated blood scandal are able to access the necessary legal support required.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Work is currently underway across the government on a number of infected blood issues. I will update the House shortly on progress.
The (then) Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster wrote to the Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry on 2 July 2018, approving legal support funding for people infected, and their families. Details of how to apply for funding are on the Inquiry’s website - Statement of Approach: Legal Representation at Public Expense.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to ensure individuals and families affected by the contaminated blood scandal are adequately compensated.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Work is currently underway across the government on a number of infected blood issues. I will update the House shortly on progress.
The (then) Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster wrote to the Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry on 2 July 2018, approving legal support funding for people infected, and their families. Details of how to apply for funding are on the Inquiry’s website - Statement of Approach: Legal Representation at Public Expense.