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Written Question
Government Departments: Mediation
Friday 6th June 2025

Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of making a renewed Government commitment to resolving disputes across Departments through mediation.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

It is a long-standing convention that we do not disclose publicly specific details on the processes of Cabinet collective decision-making, to protect the safe space for collective decisions. This Government is taking a missions-led approach to governing, bringing departments together to deliver the Plan for Change.

In the case of individual employees the Government is committed to offering mediation as a form of dispute resolution. This is already widely offered to Civil Servants by Departments across the Civil Service as a means to resolve workplace conflict promptly and effectively.

Departments have their own policies and guidance on handling disputes in line with the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures. Mediation is a recommended method of dispute resolution within the ACAS guidance.

Written Question
Government Departments: Procurement
Tuesday 3rd June 2025

Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on the introduction into Government procurement contracts of mandatory mediation in case of dispute.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office has published three standard contracts for use by government departments, and many other public sector organisations, as part of their commercial activity. Mediation clauses are included in these contract templates as part of dispute resolution, but this provides for mediation where both parties agree to it. The Cabinet Office has not had any recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on the introduction of mandatory mediation clauses in Government contracts in case of disputes.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 07 Sep 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"I welcome the new Secretary of State. I hope he has had time to savour those moments of ecstatic relief upon realising, as a former Chief Whip, that he no longer has responsibility for the Tory parliamentary party.

Northern Ireland has unique energy needs: a reliance on heating oil, different …..."
Julian Smith - View Speech

View all Julian Smith (Con - Skipton and Ripon) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 13 Jul 2022
Northern Ireland Protocol Bill

"On durable solutions, does my right hon. Friend agree that the only durable solution is for the EU to listen to what my right hon. Friend the Member for Lagan Valley (Sir Jeffrey M. Donaldson) articulated about the needs of Unionism and for a British Prime Minister, in place from …..."
Julian Smith - View Speech

View all Julian Smith (Con - Skipton and Ripon) contributions to the debate on: Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 13 Jul 2022
Northern Ireland Protocol Bill

"Will the Minister give way?..."
Julian Smith - View Speech

View all Julian Smith (Con - Skipton and Ripon) contributions to the debate on: Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 13 Jul 2022
Northern Ireland Protocol Bill

"Just on a point of clarification for the Committee, if the Northern Ireland Assembly is not up and running, the provisions in the Bill state that when the consent vote comes, the Assembly will be recalled and there will be a vote on that consent. I say that just so …..."
Julian Smith - View Speech

View all Julian Smith (Con - Skipton and Ripon) contributions to the debate on: Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 09 Mar 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"Q6. I commend the Prime Minister’s response to the Ukrainian crisis, but people across the country are genuinely concerned by our response on refugees—by the bureaucracy and the tone of our response. He has shown with vaccines that Government change comes from the very top. I urge him to look …..."
Julian Smith - View Speech

View all Julian Smith (Con - Skipton and Ripon) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 08 Dec 2021
Oral Answers to Questions

"8. What assessment he has made of the progress of the negotiations with the EU on the Northern Ireland protocol. ..."
Julian Smith - View Speech

View all Julian Smith (Con - Skipton and Ripon) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 08 Dec 2021
Oral Answers to Questions

"I welcome the Government’s dialling down of the rhetoric on the protocol, but may I urge them to speed things up? This issue and these negotiations are affecting our international relationships in steel and other matters, and the very fragile ecology in Northern Ireland. May I also urge the Secretary …..."
Julian Smith - View Speech

View all Julian Smith (Con - Skipton and Ripon) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 16 Jun 2021
Oral Answers to Questions

"I support the Prime Minister’s comments on Jo Cox and, as a former Chief Whip, his comment on Sir Roy Stone. Sir Roy gave amazing service to me when I was Chief Whip during the worst of the Brexit years in dealing with a hung Parliament and with the occasional …..."
Julian Smith - View Speech

View all Julian Smith (Con - Skipton and Ripon) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions