Functioning of Government

Debate between Mike Wood and Michael Ellis

Thursday 7th July 2022 Commons Chamber

[Michael Ellis]

The Government are functioning. I have already mentioned to the House that the great offices of state are still in place. The hon. Gentleman refers to our security and intelligence services. The Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary are in place.

[Mike Wood (Dudley South) (Con)]

What provisions are being put in place for the continuing operation of the EU-UK Partnership Council and the specialised committees over the coming months?

[Michael Ellis]

I think my hon. Friend knows that I attended a meeting of the EU-UK Partnership Council in Brussels recently. The functions of Government, including in the international sphere, will continue apace.

Downing Street Parties: Police Investigation

Debate between Mike Wood and Michael Ellis

Tuesday 25th January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Michael Ellis]

I know that the right hon. Lady is a very fair Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, and she will acknowledge that the police have their job to do. It is not a matter for the Government or the Executive to refer matters. That has been done by the Cabinet Office, independently, as part of its investigation. As to the length of the police investigation, we have no idea how long it will be.

[Mike Wood (Dudley South) (Con)]

It is clearly correct that the police should investigate any suspicions of breaches of the law, regardless of who may be involved. Can my right hon. and learned Friend assure this House and the country that Sue Gray is being left to conduct her investigation independently and freely, and that there are no barriers to her passing on to the police any relevant information she may find on any potential rule breaking?

[Michael Ellis]

Yes, I can confirm that. The fact the Cabinet Office has passed matters to the Metropolitan police is proved by today’s news.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mike Wood and Michael Ellis

Thursday 23rd September 2021 Commons Chamber

[Michael Ellis]

We have tried to operate the protocol in good faith, but the problems are significant and they are growing. The hon. Lady should be concerned about the fact that the Northern Ireland Executive noted that, from January to March, about 20% of all of the European Union’s checks were being conducted in respect of Northern Ireland, even though Northern Ireland’s population is just 0.5% of the EU as a whole. It is unacceptable, and those are the sort of problems on which she ought to focus.

[Mike Wood (Dudley South) (Con)]

9. What steps the Government are taking to increase opportunities for small businesses to bid for Government contracts.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mike Wood and Michael Ellis

Thursday 13th February 2020 Commons Chamber

[The Solicitor General]

Action is being taken now. CPS policy on charging these matters, including on the charging of rape, has not changed. The code test has not changed; it still applies to all cases, no matter how minor, no matter how serious. Prosecutors do not apply a bookmaker’s test on this. They do not try to second-guess the jury. Where there is sufficient evidence to prosecute, they do, and they will. The CPS will not hesitate to do that.

[Mike Wood (Dudley South) (Con)]

My constituent Chloe was held captive by her former partner for several months, but she found the time waiting for her abuser’s trial almost as traumatic. Does the Solicitor General agree that if we are to expect the survivors of domestic abuse and violence to have the bravery to come forward, they need to be confident that they will get the support they need at this horrific time?

[The Solicitor General]

Yes, it is very important that they have the maximum support. Delay is always undesirable. I might add that, in an inspection into domestic abuse cases that was published only a few weeks ago, inspectors noted that CPS prosecutors had applied the code correctly in 100% of cases they examined.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mike Wood and Michael Ellis

Thursday 18th July 2019 Commons Chamber

[Michael Ellis]

Yes I will. The hon. Gentleman alludes to the fact that Transport for London has agreed a 100% exemption for some showpeople using adapted vehicles from both the ultra low emission and low emission zones. The detail of that is up to the Mayor of London, not the Government, but I understand that the Mayor’s office is agreeing a meeting with the hon. Gentleman to discuss the matter, and I wish him well in that.

[Mike Wood (Dudley South) (Con)]

4. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the blue badge scheme for people with hidden disabilities.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Michael Ellis)]

From 30 August 2019, the blue badge scheme will include non-visible as well as visible disabilities. This change will be assessed 12 months after implementation, using feedback form the public, stakeholders and local authorities who administer the scheme. We will be tracking how many badges are awarded under the new criteria.

[Mike Wood]

I welcome the £1.7 million that has been allocated to councils to implement the new regulations, but will the Minister encourage local councils to spend that money on autism training for assessors, so that they can have a better understanding of how autism can affect people’s ability to travel?

[Michael Ellis]

Yes I will. My hon. Friend is right: the £1.7 million of funding is to support local authorities in the administration of the scheme. Local authorities can use their share of the funding to train assessors on specific conditions such as autism. We will let local authorities make the actual decisions on how the money can be used most effectively to support the implementation of the new regulations, but I hope that local authorities will look sympathetically at the difficulties faced by people with autism.