Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total cost to the public purse was of legal (a) support and (b) representation to Ministers in his Department in relation to their official conduct in each of the last three years.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Such information is not centrally recorded or collated in the form requested.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total cost to the public purse was of legal (a) support and (b) representation to Ministers in his Department in relation to their official conduct in each of the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Such information is not centrally recorded or collated in the format requested. More generally, I would refer the hon. Member to the long-standing policies on legal expenditure, as set out recently by Cabinet Office Ministers on 12 March 2004, Official Report,17709 and 12 March 2024, Official Report, House of Lords, column 1901-1904.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the destinations were of domestic overnight visits undertaken by Ministers within their Department in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government publishes the details of the cost of overseas ministerial travel, including costs of travel, and other costs like accommodation and meals, on the GOV.UK website. But as has been the case under successive administrations, the Government does not publish granular detail on ministers’ travel at home or abroad.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will publish the advice from officials that provided the basis for her claims about Professor Kate Sang.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
It is a longstanding principle that advice between officials and ministers remains confidential.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraphs 7.16 and 7.17 of the Ministerial Code, on how many occasions have ministers in his department informed the Law Officers that they are the defendants in a libel action in (a) their personal capacity, (b) their official position and (c) both since 19 December 2019.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
As set out in paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code: “The fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority”. As a result, the Government is unable to provide the details requested.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the destinations were of domestic overnight visits undertaken by Ministers within their Department in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government publishes on GOV.UK details of the cost of overseas Ministerial travel, including costs of travel, and on other costs (visas, accommodation, meals).
But as has been the case under successive administrations, the Government does not publish granular detail on Ministers’ travel at home or abroad.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the destinations were of domestic overnight visits undertaken by Ministers within their Department in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to my response to UIN 17620 on 13th March 2024.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the destinations were of domestic overnight visits undertaken by Ministers within their Department in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Government publishes on GOV.UK details of the cost of overseas Ministerial travel, including costs of travel, and on other costs (visas, accommodation, meals). As has been the case under successive administrations, the Government does not publish granular detail on Ministers' travel at home or abroad.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what the destinations were of domestic overnight visits undertaken by Ministers within their Department in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government publishes on GOV.UK details of the cost of overseas Ministerial travel, including costs of travel, and on other costs (visas, accommodation, meals).
As has been the case under successive administrations, the Government does not publish granular detail on Ministers' travel at home or abroad.
Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the amount of money lost to fraud and error by his Department in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Government is proud of its record in proactively seeking to find and prevent more fraud in the system. We have established the dedicated Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA). In its first year it delivered £311 million in audited counter fraud benefits.
The PSFA produces a Fraud Landscape Report.
Cross-Government Fraud Landscape Annual Report 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
This provides data on fraud and error detection, loss, and recoveries in central government, outside of the tax and welfare system. The 2020/21 Report was published in March 2023.