Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the requirement on civil servants and special advisers, under the Rights and responsibilities listed in the Civil Service code, to report to their line managers actions by others which they believe conflict with the code, also applies to conduct by themselves.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Code sets out that if an individual has a concern they should start by talking to their line manager or someone else in their line management chain.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to the Cabinet Office paper, Investigation into alleged gatherings on Government premises during covid restrictions: Update, published 31 January 2022, and the terms of reference in Annex A of that document, whether the meaningful report setting out and analysing the extensive factual information gathered, referred to in paragraph 14 of that paper, has been written.
Answered by Boris Johnson
I refer the Hon. Member back to the answer my Rt Hon Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office gave the Hon. Member for New Forest East on 21 February 2022 (UIN 120605).
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to consult with local level self-advocacy groups on (a) covid-19 communication and (b) government guidance relating to covid-19.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government constantly monitors public awareness of its communication campaigns. We use regular evaluations to maximise the impact of our campaigns across the UK.
We are committed to supporting individuals with disabilities through every stage of this pandemic. Progress in this area means that COVID-19 guidance is available across multiple channels in a range of alternative formats. Many of our most crucial content assets come in alternative accessibility formats including Easy Read, large text formats, videos with British Sign Language interpretation, and audio. Important health communications, also, regarding COVID-19 symptoms, Stay Alert and NHS Test and Trace content, are available in alternative formats, including Easy Read, British Sign Language and Audio. COVID-19 statements and speeches from the Prime Minister are now also made available in transcript form on GOV.UK, aligning with accessibility standards.
We continuously engage with disability charities using polling and focus groups with hard-to-reach audiences to better understand how our communications are received and how this affects COVID-safe behaviours. We use these insights to improve government messaging, mitigate anxieties and challenge misinformation.
Examples of new guidance are discussed in regular sessions with disability charities and experts in accessibility; this provides an opportunity for these groups to review and make recommendations on how to better government communications. We will continue to work with these organisations to ensure COVID-19 communications are as accessible as possible.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Government’s covid-19 communications and in particular for disabled people.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government constantly monitors public awareness of its communication campaigns. We use regular evaluations to maximise the impact of our campaigns across the UK.
We are committed to supporting individuals with disabilities through every stage of this pandemic. Progress in this area means that COVID-19 guidance is available across multiple channels in a range of alternative formats. Many of our most crucial content assets come in alternative accessibility formats including Easy Read, large text formats, videos with British Sign Language interpretation, and audio. Important health communications, also, regarding COVID-19 symptoms, Stay Alert and NHS Test and Trace content, are available in alternative formats, including Easy Read, British Sign Language and Audio. COVID-19 statements and speeches from the Prime Minister are now also made available in transcript form on GOV.UK, aligning with accessibility standards.
We continuously engage with disability charities using polling and focus groups with hard-to-reach audiences to better understand how our communications are received and how this affects COVID-safe behaviours. We use these insights to improve government messaging, mitigate anxieties and challenge misinformation.
Examples of new guidance are discussed in regular sessions with disability charities and experts in accessibility; this provides an opportunity for these groups to review and make recommendations on how to better government communications. We will continue to work with these organisations to ensure COVID-19 communications are as accessible as possible.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 12 July 2021 to Question 28995 on Ministers: Conduct, whether he (a) consulted the Cabinet Secretary on and (b) made an assessment of the potential merits of further investigation into the matters which led to the resignation of the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on 26 June 2021.
Answered by Boris Johnson
I refer my Rt Hon Friend to my previous answer. Paragraph 1.4 of the Ministerial Code sets out the process for investigating alleged breaches of the Code.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 18 of Covid-19 response: summer 2021, what his policy is on guidance to the civil service on working from home or returning to the office.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Prime Minister has set out the arrangements that will be in place in England once we move to Step Four of the Government roadmap. It will no longer be necessary for the government to instruct people to work from home and so employers, including the Civil Service, will be able to support the safe return to the workplace. The safe return of more civil servants to the workplace will be enacted by departments in line with updated Safer Working guidance from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and guidance from the Health and Safety Executive. This includes guidance for ventilation.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 35 of Covid-19 Response: Summer 2021, published on 5 July 2021, if he will publish his contingency plans for reimposing economic and social restrictions at a (a) local, (b) regional and (c) national level.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
In September, the Government will undertake a review to assess the country’s preparedness for autumn and winter, which will consider whether to continue or strengthen public and business guidance as we approach the winter, including on face coverings and test, trace and isolate, and will review the remaining regulations.
The Government will maintain contingency plans for reimposing economic and social restrictions at a local, regional or national level if evidence suggests they are necessary to suppress or manage a dangerous variant. Such measures would only be re-introduced as a last resort to prevent unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 36 of his Department's guidance, Covid-19 Response: Summer 2021, published on 5 July 2021, whether his definition of appropriate parliamentary scrutiny of the matter of potential covid-status certification would include a vote by the House of Commons prior to any such certification being implemented.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The COVID-status certification review has concluded that, although certification is not required at the present time, it could be a useful tool in the future as a means of keeping events going and businesses open if the country is facing a difficult situation in autumn or winter.
Any future implementation of certification would involve consultation and appropriate parliamentary scrutiny.
No policy decisions have been taken at this time.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 36 of Covid-19 Response: Summer 2021, published on 5 July 2021, whether appropriate Parliamentary scrutiny will include a vote by the House before the implementation of the proposals set out in paragraph 36.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The COVID-status certification review has concluded that, although certification is not required at the present time, it could be a useful tool in the future as a means of keeping events going and businesses open if the country is facing a difficult situation in autumn or winter.
Any future implementation of certification would involve consultation and appropriate parliamentary scrutiny.
No policy decisions have been taken at this time.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2021 to Question 25746 on the resignation of the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to commission the Director General of the Propriety and Ethics Team in the Cabinet Office to investigate and report to him on matters on the conduct of Government Ministers.
Answered by Boris Johnson
Paragraph 1.4 of the Ministerial Code sets out the process for investigating alleged breaches of the Code.