Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average time taken is to process the government security checks required for a single employee of airport staff to begin employment.
Answered by Michael Ellis
I am unable to confirm staffing levels in United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) for security reasons but can confirm that there are measures in place to fast track applications submitted from the aviation sector. UKSV works closely with customer groups and authorities to understand their forecasted demand for the provision of vetting services. In turn this allows for an appropriate resourcing forecast.
I am also unable to reveal the number of National Security Vetting (NSV) checks in progress as this is likely to prejudice national security. It would also impact the protective measures employed in safeguarding Her Majesty’s Government (HMG). However, I am able to report that security checks are being processed in a timely manner and that there are no delays.
In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many FTE staff are working on processing the security checks required for airport staff to begin employment.
Answered by Michael Ellis
I am unable to confirm staffing levels in United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) for security reasons but can confirm that there are measures in place to fast track applications submitted from the aviation sector. UKSV works closely with customer groups and authorities to understand their forecasted demand for the provision of vetting services. In turn this allows for an appropriate resourcing forecast.
I am also unable to reveal the number of National Security Vetting (NSV) checks in progress as this is likely to prejudice national security. It would also impact the protective measures employed in safeguarding Her Majesty’s Government (HMG). However, I am able to report that security checks are being processed in a timely manner and that there are no delays.
In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the current backlog of security checks required for airport staff to begin employment is.
Answered by Michael Ellis
I am unable to reveal the number of National Security Vetting (NSV) checks in progress as this is likely to prejudice national security. It would also impact the protective measures employed in safeguarding Her Majesty’s Government (HMG). However, I am able to report that security checks are being processed in a timely manner. There are no delays, and the aviation industry is aware of the time that these checks take to be processed.
In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contingency plans the Government has shared with the Northern Ireland Executive in the event that the Trade and Cooperation Agreement is suspended.
Answered by Michael Ellis
There is significant ongoing Ministerial and official-level engagement by both the Northern Ireland Office and the Cabinet Office with all the devolved administrations on EU policy issues including the implementation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and Withdrawal Agreement (WA). Lord Frost, as the Minister responsible for this area, regularly briefs with the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, as well as representatives of the political parties in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contingency plans the Government has shared with the Northern Ireland Executive in the event that Article 16 is triggered.
Answered by Michael Ellis
There is significant ongoing Ministerial and official-level engagement by both the Northern Ireland Office and the Cabinet Office with all the devolved administrations on EU policy issues including the implementation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and Withdrawal Agreement (WA). Lord Frost, as the Minister responsible for this area, regularly briefs with the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, as well as representatives of the political parties in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, on how many occasions Lord Frost has met with representatives of the UK pharmaceuticals industry to discuss the ongoing and future supply of medicines to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The government publishes details of ministers’ meetings with external organisations. Transparency returns for Cabinet Office Ministers are published regularly, and can be found here.
Lord Frost and his team are in regular contact with representatives of the UK pharmaceutical industry. We continue to work closely with all those involved in the health care system, suppliers, industry, and the Northern Ireland Executive to put in place robust measures to help ensure the continued supply of medicines and medical products to Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the report of the Dunlop Review into UK Government Union capability published on 24 March 2021, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recommendation of that report that in devolved areas there should be a second portion of the same fund which is open to bids from UK Government departments and devolved governments working in co-operation.
Answered by Chloe Smith
UK Government funding to support citizens and businesses in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland goes beyond the specific Union Fund recommended by the Dunlop Review.
COVID-19 has shown the value of collective strength of all parts of the UK working together and the importance of the broad shoulders of the UK Government in supporting the whole country.
Our commitment to strengthening the Union is no more evident than in the recent Budget, a budget for the whole of the United Kingdom, in which most of the policies announced were UK-wide, for example, extensions to furlough and self-employed schemes, Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit extension, support for the armed forces, Recovery Loans Scheme, Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, Super Deduction capital investment, Help to Grow, visa reforms and the Community Ownership Fund.
We also continue to work closely and collaboratively with the devolved administrations to deliver various funding schemes, including City and Growth Deals. Through the 2021 Budget, the UK Government confirmed an acceleration of funding for 6 different Deals across Scotland and Wales and on 24 February, partners signed the Heads of Terms for the Derry-Londonderry and Strabane Growth Deal in Northern Ireland.
The UK Internal Market Act allows the UK Government to complement and strengthen the support given to citizens, businesses and communities in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, to ensure we make the most of the opportunities provided by our exit from the EU and build back better from Covid-19. Powers under the act will be used, for example, to deliver the Levelling Up Fund and UK Community Renewal Fund in 2021/22. The UK Government intends to work with the devolved administrations and local partners closest to the needs of communities to make sure that these UK-wide funds are used to best effect.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the report of the Dunlop Review into UK Government Union capability published on 24 March 2021, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the conclusion on page 29 of that report that it is not necessary or productive to bypass the devolved governments in funding arrangements.
Answered by Chloe Smith
UK Government funding to support citizens and businesses in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland goes beyond the specific Union Fund recommended by the Dunlop Review.
COVID-19 has shown the value of collective strength of all parts of the UK working together and the importance of the broad shoulders of the UK Government in supporting the whole country.
Our commitment to strengthening the Union is no more evident than in the recent Budget, a budget for the whole of the United Kingdom, in which most of the policies announced were UK-wide, for example, extensions to furlough and self-employed schemes, Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit extension, support for the armed forces, Recovery Loans Scheme, Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, Super Deduction capital investment, Help to Grow, visa reforms and the Community Ownership Fund.
We also continue to work closely and collaboratively with the devolved administrations to deliver various funding schemes, including City and Growth Deals. Through the 2021 Budget, the UK Government confirmed an acceleration of funding for 6 different Deals across Scotland and Wales and on 24 February, partners signed the Heads of Terms for the Derry-Londonderry and Strabane Growth Deal in Northern Ireland.
The UK Internal Market Act allows the UK Government to complement and strengthen the support given to citizens, businesses and communities in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, to ensure we make the most of the opportunities provided by our exit from the EU and build back better from Covid-19. Powers under the act will be used, for example, to deliver the Levelling Up Fund and UK Community Renewal Fund in 2021/22. The UK Government intends to work with the devolved administrations and local partners closest to the needs of communities to make sure that these UK-wide funds are used to best effect.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what dates the Union Strategy Committee held its (a) first meeting and (b) subsequent meetings; and on how many occasions he has chaired those meetings.
Answered by Chloe Smith
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the next scheduled meeting is of the Joint Consultative Working Group; and who is scheduled to attend that meeting.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Article 15(2) of the Northern Ireland Protocol establishes that the Joint Consultative Working Group shall be composed of representatives of the United Kingdom and the European Union. The Government has committed to including representatives of the Northern Ireland Executive as part of the UK delegation to meetings. The JCWG briefly convened for a very short period on 29 January to adopt the Rules of Procedure. This was not a full meeting so was attended by limited delegations of only three officials from each side.
The Rules of Procedure adopted by that Working Group were those included as an Annex to the EU’s Council Decision 2020/1599 adopted on 23 October 2020; and no amendments were made.
The Working Group will continue to meet at dates decided by the co-chairs.