Marion Fellows

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 99016 on 08 October 2020.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is testing websites in accordance with the Accessibility Regulation.

GDS is encouraging organisations to engage with them to increase the accessibility of their websites for users.

GDS will periodically publish information about their monitoring. GDS will also, on behalf of the Minister for Cabinet Office, publish a list of websites with non-compliant accessibility statements.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is testing websites in accordance with the Accessibility Regulation.

GDS is encouraging organisations to engage with them to increase the accessibility of their websites for users.

GDS will periodically publish information about their monitoring. GDS will also, on behalf of the Minister for Cabinet Office, publish a list of websites with non-compliant accessibility statements.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by Justin Tomlinson MP on 10 September 2020.

The Cabinet Office has a target of responding within 20 working days where a response is required.

As you will understand, the Cabinet Office is currently dealing with unprecedented volumes of correspondence due to COVID-19. Officials are ensuring that urgent cases raised by hon. Members are prioritised, and are taking steps to provide substantive responses in as short a time as possible.

All correspondence received from hon. Members is being reviewed and will be responded to as soon as possible.

The Cabinet Office does not hold data on the number of citizens on the register, as local authorities manage their registers.

Whilst we cannot provide data for individual constituencies, we are able to provide the number of applications that were submitted through the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service (IER DS) for North Lanarkshire and Scotland, each day between 27 August
2019 to 4 September 2019, as shown below.

These figures are for the total number of applications that have been made to the IER DS. Not all individuals who submit an application to register to vote are necessarily added to the electoral register. Eligibility to be added to a register is determined by Electoral Registration Officers for their local areas.

The DVLA contract was novated to the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) in December 2018 and the current contract expires in March 2020. CCS is currently engaging with stakeholders to ascertain whether the uptake of the extension option is the best commercial decision for Government. The final decision will be taken later this year.

This information is not centrally held as each department is responsible for its own procurement.

Records of Government contracts above £10,000 in central government and £25,000 in the wider public sector are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

This information is not centrally held as each department is responsible for its own procurement.

Records of Government contracts above £10,000 in central government and £25,000 in the wider public sector are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

The information is not held centrally. Departments are required to publish this information quarterly on Gov.UK.

The information is not held centrally. Departments are required to publish this information quarterly on Gov.UK.

The information is not held centrally. Departments are required to publish this information quarterly on Gov.UK.

The premium deduction is there to protect the Civil Service Pension Scheme against the specific risk of a member marrying or entering a civil partnership after retiring and then pre-deceasing their spouse/civil partner. The amount of the premium is set at a level that takes account of the likelihood of this happening.

If the premium were to be repaid to the member’s estate should they subsequently die without marrying or entering a civil partnership, the amount of the premium would need to be significantly higher as it would only be retained by the scheme in circumstances where a spouse/civil partner’s pension was payable.

The Government does not consider that a change to the current arrangements is justified.

Government policy is to pay 80% of undisputed supplier invoices within a 5 day target, with the remaining to be paid within 30 days, as required by the Public Contracts Regulations

In October 2018, the government announced the ambition that all departments commit to paying 90% of undisputed invoices from SMEs within 5 days. Officials are working with departments to explore how finance systems are able to accomplish this

Departments are required to publish their prompt payment performance on a quarterly basis on GOV.UK.

(a) Widows/widowers/civil partners’ pension provisions exist in all parts of the Civil Service pension arrangements. The facility whereby a ‘premium deduction’ is taken from any refund of contributions payable to an unmarried member only exists in the 1972 Section (none of the other parts of the Civil Service pension arrangements provide refunds to unmarried members). The deduction is there to cover the scheme against the risk that the member marries/enters a civil partnership in retirement and then pre-deceases their spouse/civil partner, giving rise to a widow(er)/civil partner’s pension payable from the scheme.

(b) If the premium were to be repaid to the member’s estate should they subsequently die without marrying or entering a civil partnership, the amount of the premium would need to be significantly higher as it would only be retained by the scheme in circumstances where a spouse/civil partner’s pension was payable.

(c) The Civil Service pension arrangements are funded through the Civil Superannuation Vote. Contributions (both member and employer) are paid into the Vote, and benefits and refunds are paid out of the Vote. MyCSP are the scheme administrator. They arrange for refunds of contributions to be paid, where appropriate. But if a premium deduction is necessary, MyCSP do not retain that deduction themselves. It is retained in the Vote.

The normal age of 65 for prison officer retirement was first introduced by the last Labour government in 2007. Lord Hutton’s pensions review in 2015 considered the issue and did not recommend any special exemptions for prison officers. We are satisfied that this continues to be the case.

In March this year, Parliament passed government proposals for changes to the anonymous voter registration system. The changes will make it easier for an estimated 12,000 survivors of domestic abuse living in refuges to register to vote anonymously, as well as those living elsewhere.

In March 2015 the Government restated its longstanding policy commitment to pay 80% of undisputed and valid invoices within 5 days with the remainder paid within 30 days.

Public sector buyers must publish annually on their payment performance. We do not hold centrally the performance data for 2017. However, data published in 2015-16 shows that by the final quarter all major departments, apart from one (at 76%), were meeting their 5 days target and that all departments were paying at least 96% of their invoices within the 30 day target, with several departments achieving 100%.

I refer the hon. Member to PQ 122684 answered on 12^th March 2018.

The Official Receiver is conducting an orderly liquidation of the company. Our priority is the continuity of public services. We have plans in place to ensure the continued delivery of all public sector services, and all staff engaged on these public sector service contracts will continue to be paid.

The Official Receiver is conducting an orderly liquidation of the company. Our priority is the continuity of public services. We have plans in place to ensure the continued delivery of all public sector services, and all staff engaged on these public sector service contracts will continue to be paid.

The Official Receiver is conducting an orderly liquidation of the company. Our priority is the continuity of public services. We have plans in place to ensure the continued delivery of all public sector services, and all staff engaged on these public sector service contracts will continue to be paid.

If small subcontractors are providing public sector services then we are taking steps to ensure the continuity of those services.

If subcontractors are supporting private sector contracts then their future role depends on their customers.

The action we have taken is designed to keep vital public services running, rather bailing out a commercial company.

We are mindful of the concerns of Carillion employees in the private sector and resources are open to these workers and businesses affected by Carillion’s liquidation who are seeking further information, including:

• a webpage set up by the Insolvency Service for those affected and seeking advice;
• a dedicated website set up by the Special Managers, PWC, as well as a dedicated helpline;
• a hotline set up for any employee worried about their pension situation;
• more general advice on business support is available through the BEIS Business Support Hotline; and
• Jobcentre Plus, through its Rapid Response Service, also stands ready to support any employee affected by this announcement.

Alongside this a network of 38 Local Growth Hubs, run in conjunction with the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), is also on hand to help businesses of all sizes and in all sectors to access support.

This is a private sector company and taxpayers can’t be expected to bail out a private sector company.

Information on public sector suppliers within a specific constituency is not held centrally.

In March 2015 the Government restated its longstanding policy commitment to pay 80% of undisputed and valid invoices within 5 days with the remainder paid within 30 days.

Public sector buyers must publish annually on their payment performance. We do not hold centrally the performance data for 2017. However, data published in 2015-16 shows that by the final quarter all major departments, apart from one (at 76%), were meeting their 5 days target and that all departments were paying at least 96% of their invoices within the 30 day target, with several departments achieving 100%.

The Government is committed to boosting support for a vibrant and competitive UK food
and farming sector. Our policy, as set out in the Government Buying Standards for Food
and Catering Services and PPN10/14 – the Plan for Public Procurement of Food and
Catering Services, is to source food and drink responsibly.

Information on the country of origin of food and drink purchases is not held centrally.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is an economic growth department that will support British businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and prosperity across the UK; such health assessments fall outside its remit.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is an economic growth department that will support British businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and prosperity across the UK; such health assessments fall outside its remit.

Government has robust mechanisms in place to maintain oversight of Post Office Limited and regularly engages with the company on various live issues, including Post Office Limited’s approach to Drop and Collect. For example, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State attends monthly meetings with Post Office Limited’s CEO and officials attend quarterly shareholder meetings between the Department and Post Office Limited.