First elected: 7th May 2015
Left House: 30th May 2024 (Dissolution)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Martyn Day, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Martyn Day has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to prohibit the practice of offering preferential energy tariffs to new customers compared to existing customers; to place further restrictions on energy pricing; and for connected purposes.
Broadcasting (Listed Sporting Events) (Scotland) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Kenny MacAskill (Alba)
Immigration and Nationality Fees (Exemption for NHS Clinical Staff) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Rob Roberts (Ind)
Gaming Hardware (Automated Purchase and Resale) (No. 2) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Douglas Chapman (SNP)
Automatic Electoral Registration Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Judith Cummins (Lab)
British Indian Ocean Territory (Citizenship) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Henry Smith (Con)
European Union Withdrawal (Evaluation of Effects on Health and Social Care Sectors) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Brendan O'Hara (SNP)
Legalisation of Cannabis (Medicinal Purposes) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Karen Lee (Lab)
Any ban we bring forward must work for those who need it most, especially victims and survivors. We have already met with conversion therapy survivors, to hear about their experiences. We have committed to launching a consultation in September and this will be vital for ensuring the action we take is informed, effective and proportionate. I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of conversion therapy to respond to our consultation when it launches in September.
We understand that robust data collection can help employers to better understand the needs of their employees. The Office for National Statistics and the Government Statistical Service has developed monitoring standards for sexual orientation and gender identity. These standards are freely available and can be found on the ONS website.
In 2020, the Minister for Women and Equalities announced that the Equality Hub in the Cabinet Office will be embarking on the Government’s broadest and most comprehensive equality data project yet. The Equality Data Programme will gather data in order to understand the barriers that people from every background are facing across the UK.
We have no plans to implement the dual discrimination provision in the Act. We believe that current protections are adequate and that enactment would introduce unwelcome regulatory complexity and place new costly burdens on business and the public sector consequent on the introduction of a further 21 protected characteristics. In addition, an employee or service user may bring a discrimination claim under more than one ground, which the courts can then consider consecutively, where appropriate.
Terms and language regarding sexual orientation and gender identity are evolving rapidly and many terms may mean different things to different people.
Under the Public Sector Equality Duty, public authorities must, in all their functions, have ‘due regard’ to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people with different protected characteristics, including when designing policies and delivering services. This is key to the Government’s commitment to delivering equality of opportunity for all and my officials in the Equality Hub provide advice to departments to assist with this.
Government vigorously scrutinises research from a wide range of sources on the impact of Covid-19 on minority groups, including the LGBT population. We routinely monitor research by academics and other agencies published in this area.
The Office of National Statistics publishes the median hourly pay figures set out below, based on place of residence, annually. To accelerate the rate at which the UK gap is closing the Government has introduced mandatory gender pay gap reporting for large employers and is helping business to understand and address their gaps.
a) Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency
Year | Gender pay gap (%) |
2010 | 28.8 |
2011 | 25.5 |
2012 | 27.3 |
2013 | 22.3 |
2014 | 22.7 |
2015 | 21.1 |
2016 | 25.0 |
b) Scotland
Year | Gender pay gap (%) |
2010 | 17.3 |
2011 | 17.2 |
2012 | 17.7 |
2013 | 18.0 |
2014 | 17.6 |
2015 | 17.6 |
2016 | 15.8 |
c) United Kingdom
Year | Gender pay gap (%) |
2010 | 19.8 |
2011 | 20.2 |
2012 | 19.6 |
2013 | 19.8 |
2014 | 19.2 |
2015 | 19.3 |
2016 | 18.1 |
The UK is a recognised world leader in disabled rights and equality, and the Government continues to spend around £50 billion a year to support sick and disabled people. According to OECD figures, the UK spends a higher proportion of its GDP on incapacity than any other G7 country except Germany.
This Government is introducing ground breaking gender pay transparency for larger employers. Employers will report on four measures including the proportions of men and women working across their pay distribution. This means identifying where men and women are in the organisational pay hierarchy, and motivating employers to address any issues that limit women’s progression.
Since we announced the introduction of gender pay gap reporting, it is encouraging that over one third of the large employers are now responding to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development poll, which has already begun to prepare for the forthcoming annual reporting by starting to run some analysis now. We will be providing a package of support to employers to help them implement the gender pay reporting regulations. We have already published a ‘Trailblazing Transparency’ best practice report on gov.uk earlier this year and provided guidance on what sort of supporting analysis an employer could do as part of our ‘Think, Act, Report’ framework. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/think-act-report
Gender pay gap legislation is part of a range of wider action we are taking on women’s progression. That is why the Government appointed Sir Philip Hampton and Dame Helen Alexander to lead an independent review, which is focusing on the representation of women in the most senior executive layers of the FTSE 350, as well as championing the increased target for 33% women on FTSE 350 boards by 2020.
Anti-Muslim hatred is completely abhorrent and this Government is committed to preventing and tacking it.
We have set up the first ever cross-government working group on anti-Muslim hatred, and we have published a new Hate Crime Action Plan to help us ensure nobody in this country lives in fear because of who they are.
The Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office regularly engage and cooperate with the Crown Office, Scotland’s Prosecution Service, and the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland.
The Government recognizes the importance of retaining good co-operation with European countries on prosecutions, and will continue to engage with the devolved Administrations to seek the best arrangement possible on leaving the EU.
The information requested is not held by the Government Recruitment Service (GRS). Reinstatements are managed by each individual Department who will hold their own data rather than centrally by GRS.
Individual departments are responsible for the recruitment of their staff and are able to set their own policies accordingly, subject to the framework of instructions set out in the Civil Service Management Code and the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. This includes the reinstatement of former civil servants under exception five of the Recruitment Principles.
The Government works continuously to understand, assess and address the risks presented by emerging and critical technologies. To date, the Cabinet Office has drawn on a significant range of analysis to inform Government understanding of the risks associated with Artificial Intelligence and the UK elections; we continue to coordinate with other Lead Government Departments.
We keep our assessments of these issues under constant review. For example, in the lead up to the AI Safety Summit, a suite of products was published by the Government to help inform the public and Summit participants of our assessment of the risks and opportunities associated with the use of AI. The risk to the information environment was included within this: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/frontier-ai-capabilities-and-risks-discussion-paper.
More broadly, the security of elections is considered a priority task across HMG and touches on work being undertaken by the Defending Democracy Task Force, DSIT and within the National Security Secretariat in Cabinet Office.
The Government works continuously to understand, assess and address the risks presented by emerging and critical technologies. To date, the Cabinet Office has drawn on a significant range of analysis to inform Government understanding of the risks associated with Artificial Intelligence and the UK elections; we continue to coordinate with other Lead Government Departments.
We keep our assessments of these issues under constant review. For example, in the lead up to the AI Safety Summit, a suite of products was published by the Government to help inform the public and Summit participants of our assessment of the risks and opportunities associated with the use of AI. The risk to the information environment was included within this: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/frontier-ai-capabilities-and-risks-discussion-paper.
More broadly, the security of elections is considered a priority task across HMG and touches on work being undertaken by the Defending Democracy Task Force, DSIT and within the National Security Secretariat in Cabinet Office.
The Government works continuously to understand, assess and address the risks presented by emerging and critical technologies. To date, the Cabinet Office has drawn on a significant range of analysis to inform Government understanding of the risks associated with Artificial Intelligence and the UK elections; we continue to coordinate with other Lead Government Departments.
We keep our assessments of these issues under constant review. For example, in the lead up to the AI Safety Summit, a suite of products was published by the Government to help inform the public and Summit participants of our assessment of the risks and opportunities associated with the use of AI. The risk to the information environment was included within this: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/frontier-ai-capabilities-and-risks-discussion-paper.
More broadly, the security of elections is considered a priority task across HMG and touches on work being undertaken by the Defending Democracy Task Force, DSIT and within the National Security Secretariat in Cabinet Office.
As stated in the answer of 7 December 2023, Official Report, House of Lords, PQ HL571, this is a matter for the Conservative Party, rather than the Government.
This government is committed to paying properly, which is being addressed through the statutory National Living Wage. This is based on the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission. In April 2023, the National Living Wage increased to £10.42 per hour, an increase of 9.7%. By 2024, the Government has committed that the National Living Wage will reach 66% of median UK earnings.
Departments are responsible for setting the terms and conditions of employment for their civil servants, in accordance with the rules of the Civil Service Management Code. This includes matters related to sickness absence.
The Government is proud to lead the world in ending our own contribution to climate change and we have achieved a lot on our road to net zero already.
Under the new Greening Government Commitments Framework for the 2021-25 period, the government committed to reducing paper use by at least 50% against the 2017-18 financial year baseline. The first Annual Report against the new Framework, covering the 2021-22 financial year, is due to be published later this year.
The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) and Government Digital Service (GDS) in the Cabinet Office lead a ‘digital by default’ approach to government services. As a result, thousands of government services are now mostly used online and most service users are no longer using a paper-version of a service.
Last year, CDDO added a new mandatory standard to the existing Technology Code of Practice on ‘Make your technology sustainable’, which implements the published Greening Government ICT and Digital Services Strategy (2020).
On 12 May, the Prime Minister confirmed that a public inquiry into COVID-19 will be established on a statutory basis, with full formal powers and that it will begin its work in spring 2022. A chair will be appointed by the end of the year. More details about the inquiry, including its terms of reference, will be set out in due course.
The Government committed to explore whether and how COVID-status certification might be used to reopen our economy, reduce restrictions on social contact and improve safety. As set out in the ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021,’ the Government will set out its conclusions on the COVID-status Certification Review in advance of Step 4 of the Roadmap, in order to inform the safe reopening of society and the economy.
An update on the Roadmap Reviews was published on 5 April and can be found here:
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster further updated via a Written Ministerial Statement on 29 April 2021, which can be found below:
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021-04-29/hcws947
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
Details of the Contract Management Professional Standards, including a foreword by the then Civil Service Chief Executive, are published on GOV.UK and are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/contract-management.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
This information is not held centrally.
We recognise that being paid promptly is often vital to SMEs to ensure their survival and growth. The government has a commitment to pay 90 per cent of valid and undisputed invoices from SMEs within 5 days and last financial year, we spent almost £2bn more than the previous year with SMEs. In its most recent published report (Q4 2019/20), Cabinet Office paid 88% of invoices in 5 days and 97% in 30 days.
This information is not held centrally.
We recognise that being paid promptly is often vital to SMEs to ensure their survival and growth. The government has a commitment to pay 90 per cent of valid and undisputed invoices from SMEs within 5 days and last financial year, we spent almost £2bn more than the previous year with SMEs. In its most recent published report (Q4 2019/20), Cabinet Office paid 88% of invoices in 5 days and 97% in 30 days.
This information is not held centrally.
We recognise that being paid promptly is often vital to SMEs to ensure their survival and growth. The government has a commitment to pay 90 per cent of valid and undisputed invoices from SMEs within 5 days and last financial year, we spent almost £2bn more than the previous year with SMEs. In its most recent published report (Q4 2019/20), Cabinet Office paid 88% of invoices in 5 days and 97% in 30 days.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
GOV.UK Verify enables individuals to prove who they are digitally and to access online government services safely and securely. Over 6.8 million accounts have been created on GOV.UK Verify since it went live in October 2014. The breakdown for the last five years is as follows:
2014 - 1706
2015: 526,164
2016: 447,487
2017: 753,782
2018: 1,628,092
2019: 2,194,816
2020 (until 31 May): 1,294,337
The privacy-centric design of GOV.UK Verify means that it is not possible to provide a breakdown of users by constituency or region.