Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2024 to Question 23369 on Government Departments: Press, how much and what proportion of total Government expenditure on communications activities was with independent (a) broadcast media and (b) web-based only news media, including those that are members of the Independent Community News Network, in the last 12 months for which data is available.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
This figure is not held centrally. Channels are selected based on whether they will reach the target audience effectively to have the most impact. Independent news networks can form a key part of this and are considered where appropriate. Government constantly and regularly evaluates the effectiveness of its communications to ensure the right audiences are reached in the most efficient way.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to promote independent news networks by ensuring that (a) Government and (b) other public announcements are made by buying space on news websites not owned by newspaper groups (i) in areas where no local printed newspapers are available and (ii) generally.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government runs a number of communications activities, including campaigns, across a range of media channels. For each activity, channels are selected based on whether they will reach the target audience effectively to have the most impact.
Independent news networks can form a key part of this and we consider them wherever necessary.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Government's policy is on the installation of surveillance cameras in Ministerial offices; whether the relevant Ministers are informed of their existence; and what instructions are in place regarding any recordings made from those cameras.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
I refer the hon. Member to my response on 28 June 2021.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a Wireless Emergency Alert system in the UK similar to that currently available in the United States.
Answered by David Lidington
Cabinet Office worked with the police, the communications providers and behavioural scientists and undertook geographically limited, but realistic, trials of mobile alerting culminating in 2014. Mobile alerting is kept under review as part of our ability to warn and inform the public about emergencies through a range of channels.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will ask the Electoral Commission to investigate how many (a) students and (b) other individuals voted in more than one parliamentary constituency in the 2017 General Election.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The Government takes this matter very seriously. I have raised this issue with the Electoral Commission as a matter of priority and look forward to their report on the 2017 General Election.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to publish an updated edition of Ministerial Responsibilities.
Answered by Ben Gummer
An updated version of the list of Ministerial Responsibilities will be published shortly.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials in his Department are working on research relating to the EU Referendum; and what estimate he has made of the total (a) number of man-hours and (b) cost of that work up to 23 June 2016.
Answered by John Penrose
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich and North Essex on 13 January 2016 to UIN: 21072.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress he has made on developing the role of the Crown Commercial Service; what savings to the public purse he expects to accrue from commercial reform of government procurement; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Crown Commercial Service is now a fully operational legal entity providing expert commercial services to the public sector.
It is at the heart of the Government's Commercial Reform Programme and will continue to drive further savings for the taxpayer and improve the quality of commercial and procurement activity across government.